The Calzona Games
by BigG1999
Summary: Calzona in the Hunger Games. Smut. Fluff.
1. Chapter 1

I groan as I roll out of bed.

"Callie it's time" My mom says as she comes into the room.

"This is so stupid" I say, standing up.

"It's the day of the reaping, Jackson will be here in an hour to prep you" She says, leaving my room again.

I go to my dresser and pick up a bottle of scotch. I take a long drink of it.

"Callie you better not be drinking" My mom yells.

"How the fuck else will I get through this" I yell back.

I hear her sigh but I don't care. Then Jackson comes in, new gold tattoos that pop against his dark skin.

"Morning sunshine, ready to become beautiful" He asks, his blue eyes shine.

"Are you asking if I'm ready to meet two more wonderful young people and send them off to die? Uh nope and never will be" I say, giving him a big fake smile.

"Haha, very funny. Sit down and let us do our thing" He says, pushing me down into a stool.

I sit there as they pull hair out of my eyebrows, draw new ones on, put on make up, file my nails, the whole thing.

"Ah, and you are going to wear this" He says, handing me a small black dress.

"Jackson will this even cover my ass" I ask, standing up to let him see how tiny it is.

"I know what I'm doing, just put it on" He snaps.

I sigh and put on the dress. It barely covers anything at all.

"It's time my dear" Effie's voice rings loud and clear as she enters the room.

"Hello Effie" I say, poison seeping out of my voice.

"My dear you look just as good as ever" She says with a smile.

"I am only sixteen, and I'm dressed as slut" I spit out.

"Well let's go, the reaping awaits" She says with a smile.

"Great" I say, taking drink of my beer.

Me and Effie go and take the stage. I still gasp when I see the large amount of children, some older and some younger than me.

"Looking good Torres" Marks voice says from the other side of the platform.

"Shut up Mark" I say to the thirty something year old man.

"Hey you owe me your life" He says with a smile.

"I got myself out of there. You helped him, not me. Shut the fuck up because you didn't help me at all you fucking pig" I scream in his face.

"Derek was my best friend" He yells back.

"Mark, Callie sit down" Effie orders.

"Dick"

"Bitch"

"Good morning people of district twelve" Effie's voice rings over the intercom.

I wait for her to stop the stupid speech, I wait to meet the kids that we will be sending off to die. I went in when I was twelve. I am the youngest person to ever win. I've done this for four years. Four years I've sent people off to die in a pointless game.

Not a single person has won. I was the first in years. Mark and I are the only two that have ever won for district twelve. I look down to drown out everything around me. I just want to go back home and never come back out. The games have changed me. The games change everybody.

The Hunger Games always do.


	2. Chapter 2

"Ladies first" Effie's voice rings through the town square.

I might as well go, nobody would care about me. I basically live in the forest anyways. The only person I care about doesn't even talk to me anymore. I look down to the ground and I hear every bodies breath hitch as she pulls out a name.

"Aria Torres" She says, looking down at the crowd.

"What? No! No no no!" Callie starts yelling from the stage.

I watch as Aria slowly walk to the stage. Aria is Callie's little sister. Callie won a few years ago, she doesn't talk to me anymore. We used to be best friends, maybe something more than friends.

I look back up and Callie has tears running down her face, Mark is holding her back and peacekeepers are around her, making sure she won't try anything bad.

"Aria no" Callie sobs.

I don't know why, but my feet move me out of line. People let me go.

"Aria" I say.

She turns around and sees me.

"Zona no" She cries, knowing what I'm going to do.

"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute" I scream.

Aria runs to me, hugging me. I wrap my arms around her, kissing her forehead. I may not talk to her anymore, but she was like a sister to me. I love her.

The peacekeepers arms pry us apart. I am not so gently taken up onto the stage. I walk over to Effie.

"Well hello dear, you are district twelves first volunteer. What is your name" She asks.

"Arizona Robbins" I whisper.

"I'm willing to bet that little girl was a good friend" She says into the mic.

"Uh. The little sister of a old friend" I say, looking back to Callie who is sitting down and crying.

I look down at the crowd. One old man, I don't know him, but he touches his thumb and pinkie. He brings his fingers up to his lips then lists it all the way up into the air. It's a very old symbol, and is never used anymore. After that one man does it, everybody else does. I even look behind me to see Callie doing it.

"Well congratulations dear and now for the boys" She says, moving to the other bowl.

Every body puts down their hands and waits.

"Alex Karev" Effie calls.

I groan, he's the man whore. I watch as he struts onto the stage, acting like he's eager to be there.

"Come on you two shake hands" Effie orders.

He looks at me and flashes his smile. I hold out my hand and shake once, and only one.

"And there we have it, the two tributes for district twelve" Effie says with a smile to the camera.

The camera lights shut off.

"Come along dears, let's go get you ready" Effie says, leading us into the town hall.

I'm led into a room alone.

"People will come in to say goodbye" A peacekeeper says, shutting the door.

I sigh and sit down on the chair, the most comfortable thing I've ever sat on. Nobody will come and say goodbye because nobody knows me.

I jump when the door is busted open and Aria is hugging me. I sigh and hug back, this little girl is like family to me, family that I lost a long time ago.

"Zona" She whispers, looking up to me.

"Yes honey" I ask, bending down to her size.

"Sissy gave this to me, she told me I won't get hurt if I have it. I want you to take it" She says, putting a pin in my hand.

"Honey I love you" I whisper, hugging her again.

"Time's up" A male's voice says, pulling us apart.

"You have to win" Ariz yells.

"I'll try" I yell back as the door slams shut.

It is quickly open again and Callie comes through.

"Hi" I whisper, looking at the taller beautiful women before me.

"Thank you" She says, pulling me into a hug.

I melt in her arms, hugging her back. She slowly pulls away.

"I had to" I say, looking down.

"Arizona, I'm so sorry" She says, tilting my head back up.

My breathing hitches as I look into those deep brown eyes. She's about my age. She went through the Hunger Games just a few years ago.

"I'm going to come back" I whisper, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I came back for you" She whispers, sadness shining in her eyes.

"I'll come back for you" I whisper, leaning in for a kiss.

"Time's up" The peacekeeper says, pulling her away.

She's my mentor so I'll be seeing her plenty. I sigh and sit back down on the chair.

"Come along dear, the train is here" Effie says, pulling me out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

"Ready to send off some more kids to die babe" Mark asks, groping my ass from behind.

"Mark stop" I say with a sigh, not in the mood to fight him off.

"Come on Torres, might as well have some fun" He whispers in my ear.

"I said stop" I whisper.

"Come on Cal" He whispers in my ear, pushing himself into my back.

"She said stop" Arizona's strong voice rings clear into the room.

"Hey Blondie" He says with a smile as he walks over to her.

"I'll let you guys talk, you have about ten hours before we get there, I'll be back in about three for dinner" Effie says, walking out of the room.

"Hi, I'm Alex" The boy says, looking me up and down.

"Don't even think about it" I say to the older boy who is looking down at me like he's going to kiss me.

"Come on, I'll win for you" He says, winking.

"Back off man whore" Arizona says to Mark, who is trying to feel her up.

"Sloan, get off her" I yell.

"Torres get off him" He says with a smirk.

"How about we go celebrate me being a tribute" Alex whispers in my ear.

"Karev get off her" Arizona says.

"Make me" He says, shooting her a glare.

"I will" She says, grabbing him my the collar of his shirt and throwing him into Mark.

"Woh" I gasp.

"Blondie's got power, that's good" Mark says with a smile as he pushes Alex away.

"She's mine, I'm training her. You two man whores can be together" I spit out.

"I wanted Blondie" Mark whines.

"She's my friend" I snap.

"Friend hmm" Alex asks, eyeing Arizona.

"Friends, now stop" She snaps.

"Arizona I'll show you your room" I say, grabbing her wrist and pulling her out of that room, we stop right outside the door.

"Calliope, I'm sorry" She whispers, looking up into my eyes.

"Sorry for what" I ask.

"I threw Alex into Mark" She says, looking down at her feet.

"Thank you for doing that, now come on" I say, pulling her down the hallway.

"Effie showed me my room" She whispers, but still letting me drag her.

"Good" I say, pushing her into her room.

I turn around and shut the door. I turn back around and she is sitting on the bed. I walk over to her and sit next to her.

"I can't believe I'm here" She whispers, looking up at me with emotion spilling out of her eyes.

I can't help myself. I pull her into my lap and hold her close. She lets the tears fall. I hold this women in my arms. The feel of her skin on mine. My arms around her waist, holding her in my lap.

"You're going to go out there, and you are going to win" I say, pulling her back.

I wrap my hands around the back of her neck so she has to look at me in the eyes. Her eyes show fear.

"You are going to win, okay" I whisper, a tear running down the die of my face.

"How? I can't-"

"You will win for Aria" I say, cutting her off.

"She gave me the pin you gave her" She whispers, changing the topics and looking down.

"Arizona" I say through gritted teeth.

She looks back up to me, showing that she is listening.

"Promise me that you will try" I whisper.

"I promise" She says, placing a hand on the side of my face.

"Torres" Marks voice booms.

"Sloan" I yell, standing up quickly, his tone of voice is telling me it's an emergency.

"He killed himself" He says, walking into the room with blood all over him.

"Oh my god" Arizona gasps.

"How on Earth did he kill himself" I yell, knowing what it means for us.

"He broke a glass and he... He slit his throat" Mark says.

"Oh my god" I whisper.

"Mark! Callie! He's dead! He's dead" Effie's voice screams from the other car.

"Oh god Callie" Mark says, looking at me.

"What the hell happened" Effie asks as she gets to the compartment.

"He slit his throat" I say, looking down.

"That's why I had you there" Effie yells.

"I was just getting a drink" Mark says, looking down at his blood covered hands.

"This has only happened once, and I think you both know what happens now" Effie says, looking back and forth between me and Mark.

"I'll do it. I need to keep her alive" I say, tilting my head to Arizona.

"What are you talking about" Arizona asks.

"If I go in I'm going in to win. I don't care who I have to kill. I am going to die thanks to my drinking" Mark says, eying Arizona.

"Effie I'm going in" I whisper.

"Going in where? What are you talking about" Arizona says, grabbing my hand.

"Mark, you save her, not me. You hear me? Save her" I say, getting in his face to show how much I mean it.

"I'll take care of Blondie" He says.

"Well now that we got that settled what do you want to tell the capital" Effie asks.

"Alex just killed himself, what the fuck are you guys talking about" Arizona says.

"Somebody has to take his place, and it has to be a mentor" Effie says as if it's normal.

"Calliope no" She whispers.

"Shut up, I'm going to save your ass" I snap.

"Tell them he tried to go after Blondie so she had to do something" Mark says.

"You're going to tell people I killed him" Arizona asks wide eyed.

"Makes people think you are bad ass" I say, nodding in agreement.

"I will not agree to it" Arizona protests.

"Arizona just shut up, you will do whatever we say" I snap again.

"I'll get people to get rid of the body" Effie says, leaving the room like she's about of go get a cup of tea.

"Do you really think we can sell the killer" Mark asks, looking at Arizona.

"I know we can" I reply, remembering her temper from our childhood.

"It was self-defense" Arizona says.

"Yeah Mark, self-defense" I say with a smile, she's got it down.

"Come on time for dinner" Effie says with a smile as she comes back in.

"Food" Mark says, rushing out the door.

"Mark change your clothes please, you two let's go eat what might be one of your last meals" She says leading us to the dinning room cabin.

We go to the dinning room and eat without a word. I remember the feeling I had when I did this before. I needed someone to touch me, to calm me. I gently put my hand on top of her thigh, just letting it sit there, telling her that I'm here for her. We eat and wait, sipping drinks, non-alcoholic, now that I'm a tribute I can't have it anymore.

We move to the couch and Mark raises his eyebrows at the placement on my arm around her shoulders. I don't care though.

"So what do I need to learn" She asks, looking at me.

"The training will start there, I'll be with you to help with everything else" I say.

"Callie you can't go out there and just protect her" Mark says.

"Watch me" I say.

"Callie he's right" Arizona says, looking up at me with blue eyes.

"It's better to be in a team, you last longer in a team" I argue, knowing that I'm right.

"Whatever" Mark says.

The Caesar show comes on, well that's not the name of it, but that's what I call it.

"New news has just been reported, it seems that tribute Alex Karev tried to kill his fellow female tribute Arizona Robbins. In self-defense she broke a glass and accidentally slit his throat. This years Hunger Games is getting off to a killer start" He chuckles at his joke with the rest of the Capitol.

"It seems that a victor has to step up in his place. Now the rules do not say it whether has to be a male or female, so an old, or rather young victor has stepped up. Calliope Torres, youngest and by far best looking victor will be a tribute again. We will see if she's grown stronger or weaker though these four short years she's been away from us" He says with a wink, most likely to me, then the screen goes dark again.

"Well I'm happy to see him again" I say with a fake smile.

"We're here" Effie says with a smile.

"Come over here, wave to the people" I instruct her, smiling and waving myself.

"This is bull shit, they are betting on who kills who right now" Arizona says, but smiles out the window.

"Doesn't matter, it's those same people who save you when you're in there" I say.

"I hope you're right" She says, giving me a sideways glance.

"I am" I say, poking her side lightly, knowing she's ticklish.

"Don't do that" She says, jerking away with a small laugh.

"Come on girls" Effie says, leading us away from the window.

I take a deep breath and get ready to go to the training center as a tribute for the second time, great fun.


	4. Chapter 4

Effie leads us off the train.

"They need to get you ready, so say goodbye for now. I'll be watching both of you closely, so Mark won't have to become a tribute again" Effie says as we get to two doors.

"Neither one of us is going to die" Callie says.

"Oh dear I wish that was true" Effie says with some emotion in her voice, which is weird to me.

"Who is her's" Callie asks.

"She gets Jackson, you get Yang" Effie says.

"Okay, Arizona he's amazing. He will not judge you, but the prep team might be a little harsh. The will pull all the hairs and wax everything. He might be a bit, um... Lookie? He will lock at everything but he will not try anything so don't try to kill him" Callie explains.

"It was self-defense Calliope" I say with a smile, I can work this angle.

"Okay, I'll see you at the chariot ride" She says, walking through the other door.

"Have fun dear, Jackson is the best we've ever had. He has helped us for a few years but this is his first solo, I'm so excited. Go on" And with that she pushes me through the door.

"Oh my god, she's beautiful" A redhead gasps as I walk in.

"She's good looking, let's prep her. Please take off your clothes" A short women says.

"Names please" I ask, taking off my top.

"I'm April" The redhead says with a smile, showing off her perfect teeth.

"Call me Bailey" The dark skinned women says.

"I'm Arizona" I say, pulling my pants off.

"Put this on" A man says, handing me a blue gown.

"O'Malley I said to wait" Bailey snaps, hitting him on the back of the head.

"It's fine, you're gay aren't you" I ask.

"Why does everybody think that" He groans, turning around and throwing his hands up.

"Oh sorry" I say, putting on the gown and taking off my bra and panties.

"Lets get you ready" April says, taking my hand and leading me to a table.

I lay down and shut my eyes. They take off my gown, which was really pointless to even put on, but whatever. They wash me, scrub the dirt away. I spend most of my time in the woods so they remove at lot of layers of dirt. They don't stop there though. They remove layers of my skin. Then they start waxing my hair. I grunt with every pull. They must see that I keep my body down there nice and smooth, because they don't even touch me down there. The even file my cracked nails into perfect little nubs.

"I think she's ready" April says.

"Hair" O'Malley says, putting the water over my hair.

"Sit up" Bailey orders.

I sit up and their hands go to work. After about thirty minutes they dry my hair and let me put the gown on again.

"Avery will be here in a few" April says, leaving the room.

I lay there and wait.

"So you're the infamous Arizona Robbins" He says as he enters the room.

"It was self-defense" I say, sitting up.

"I wasn't talking about that. Callie talked about you all the time when we first met" He says with a smile, his eyes popping out.

"She talked about me" I ask.

"She said she had to get back to you, but I take it after she got back it didn't go as planed" He says, looking down.

"My dad died in the mine while she was out there. My mom was killed by a peacekeeper. When Callie got back she couldn't even look at me anymore" I say, looking down.

"You know she cares about you, she just... She had to go out there and kill peoples children. She had to kill her mentors best friend, which caused a lot of hate. She misses you somewhere under all that mess of a girl" He says.

"I live in the woods" I whisper, looking up at him.

"By the burns on the side of your arm you were in a fire or something" He asks, pointing to the small burn marks on my upper arm.

"Uh yeah... When my mom went crazy she kinda, set me on fire" I say with a small smile, faking it.

"The girl on fire. I like that. District twelve is on fire" He says with a smirk.

"No fire dude. No fire" I say.

"It'll be fake, don't worry. Hey I'm here for you, and I'm sorry you had to volunteer, that was brave" He say, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"It was Calliope's little sister. I had to" I say.

"No, you didn't have to. You are just a brave young women" He says.

"I'm fifteen, not a women" I scoff.

"Happy birthday" He says with a smile.

"I'm sixteen, yeah. Thanks" I say, remembering that it is my birthday.

"You ready to go? Just put this on, I'll be there to help you get on the chariot too" He says, handing me a black dress.

I quickly put it on, feeling his eyes on me.

"I'm gay" I say, pulling it over my boobs.

"I guessed that" He says, turning me around and zipping me up.

"Where's Callie" I ask, wanting to see her beautiful face.

"Waiting for you outside" He says, nodding towards the door.

"Can I go" I ask, turning around see I can see him.

"How do you want to do your hair" He asks, ignoring my question.

"Down" I say.

"Natural" He asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it can fly back and look amazing with the flames" I say with a smile, a dimpled smile.

"Okay, go see her" He says with a smile.

"Yay" I say, turning around and going to the door.

I stop and look her up and down. She is wearing a beautiful black dress like mine, it hugs her perfect body perfectly. Her hair is pulled up in a bun and she doesn't have on any make up, she's flawless.

"You look good" She says, looking me up and down.

"You look amazing" I whisper, looking back up to her eyes.

"Come on girls, lets go" Effie says, dragging us away.

* * *

"Okay remember it's fake" Jackson says, holding out the flame.

"Looks real" I say, my breath catching in my throat.

"It's okay Arizona" Calliope whispers in my ear.

"Let's go" Effie says, pushing us onto the chariot.

I brace myself. The I see the flames behind me. I start breathing too fast.

"It's fine Arizona" Calliope whispers, grabbing my hand.

I look to her. She smiles and squeezes my hand. I bit my lower lip and nod, blinking back tears of fear.

"I'm good" I whisper as the horses start moving.

"Wave and smile, show your dimples" She says, lifting up her other arm and waving.

Caesar's voice fills the arena and the voices of yelling people going wild for the tributes. I get an idea, we are both waving and when people can see us they will see the flames.

"Hold up our hands" I whisper, leaning over to her.

"What" She asks, looking back at me.

"Hands, hold them up. They will love it" I say, glancing at the crowd.

"Okay" She says, lifting our joined hands high in the air.

"I love how the stylists, they so clearly are able to reflect the character of each district. Here's district 4. Yes, the fishing. I get it. I like it" Caesar says, referring to the people dressed like fish.

I hear him gasp into the microphone. I smile even brighter and squeeze her hand.

"Now see that! I love that! Two young people, holding their hands up, saying; 'I'm proud I come from district 12. We will not be overlooked.' Now I love that" He says into the mic.

The chariot comes to a stop at the road and behind eleven other ones. Everybody is looking at us. The fire stops and we watch President Snow get up.

"Tributes, we welcome you. We salute the courage and your sacrifice. And we wish you Happy Hunger Games. And may the odds be ever in your favor" He says, then sits back down.

We then get off and go into the Training Center, still holding hands.


	5. Chapter 5

We get to the place where the horse stops and let us off. I can't help but smile down at our still intertwined hands as we step off.

"That was amazing" Jackson says, pulling us both into a big hug.

"We are all anybody's going to be talking about" Effie smiles, joy in her voice.

"So brave" Mark says, a fake smile and alcohol on his breath.

"Are you sure you should be near an open flame" I shoot, he shouldn't be drunk already.

"Fake flame" He smiles, "Are you sure you" He stops, looking at something behind me.

I turn my head and see a really strong-looking guy glaring at us. He must be a career, his muscles bulge out and the cold blue eyes send a jolt through my body. He looks like my brother, my dead brother.

"Let's uh, go upstairs" He says, interrupting my thoughts.

Callie gently pulls me by my hand, leading me to where ever we are going to. I can feel his cold blue eyes watching me and I walk away, and it takes everything I have not to look back at him.

* * *

"So, each of the districts have our own floor, and since your from twelve, you get the penthouse" Effie informs, walking in front of us, expecting us to follow.

"Effie I know all this, remember" Callie chuckles, but still follows the women through the large room.

We get on an elevator and ride up, it's a long ride. When it finally opens I gasp at the large amount of space, it's nothing like what we have back home.

"So this is the living room" Effie says, moving her hands to show she means the large room that we are in.

I take about two steps in when I stop and look around. Everything looks so beautiful, nothing that I've ever seen before. The town hall doesn't even look this good, and I thought that place was heaven.

"I know, pretty cool right" Callie whispers in my ear, I smile at her, she can still read me like an open book.

"Now your rooms are over here" Effie says, leading us across the room and down a short hallway.

* * *

I walk into my room. It's small compared to the rest of the rooms, but it's one of the biggest rooms I've ever been in. I look at the bed, freshly made with some ugly yellow sheets, but I can tell by looking at them that the feel will make up for the color.

I slowly walk over to the bed and sit down on one side, facing a very large screen. I run my hand over the sheets, I was right about them. They are the softest thing I've ever touched. My mind jumps back to holding Callie's hand, a small smile plays upon my lips, her skin is softer than this bed, but I can deal with just the bed.

I notice a remote on the nightstand, I gently pick it up. I gently tap it, and the screen pops to life. Different scenes are displayed, a busy street from somewhere inside the capital, I quickly change it, I don't feel like watching people be happy.

A desert is the next to pop up, but who wants to stare at a desert. My name may be Arizona, but deserts aren't my thing.

The next thing to pop up is a forest. Tall trees stretch from the bottom of the screen and disappear at the top. The clear blue sky calms my nerves and a mist is slowly creeping through the forest. I walk closer to the screen, I need to see it closer.

I gasp when I hear noises coming from it. The wind running through the treetops, the sounds of animals scurrying by. The crickets chirping as if nothing has changed. I guess, for them nothing has changed, they weren't plucked from their home and thrown into a place where they have to face their past and fight for their future, they just make music.

I bite my bottom lip and blink back tears, now is not the time to cry. I turn off the screen and throw the remote down.


	6. Chapter 6

Knifes are neatly hung up on a rack, bows are hung at a different part. The huge room has many weapons, causing me to take a deep breath, I may kill animals, but it doesn't mean I like to do it. Everybody looks around, sizing up everybody else, planing on who to kill first, but I can't bear to even look at Calliope, instead I focus on the floor.

"In two weeks, twenty three of you will be dead. One of you will be alive. Who that is depends on how well you pay attention over the next four days. Particularly to what I'm about to say: First, no fighting with the other Tributes. You'll have plenty of time for that in the arena. There are four compulsory exercises. The rest will be individual training. My advice is, don't ignore the survival skills. Everybody wants to grab a sword, but most of you will die from natural causes. Ten percent from infection, twenty percent from dehydration. Exposure can kill as easily as a knife" A pretty dark-skinned women tells us.

I drown out the rest of her words, and loose myself in the way the floor looks. It isn't until Callie places a hand on my shoulder do I realize that everybody has already gone off to train.

I look around and everybody is fighting. Swords clanking as two boys fight. A girl throwing knives and hitting the marks perfectly. Two boys are starting a fire.

"Hey where's my knife" The boy with the cold blue eyes yells, snapping my attention over to him.

"Huh" The boy with dark hair says.

"I put my knife right there" Blue eyes yells, roughly pushing dark haired's shoulder.

"Don't fucking touch me, I didn't touch your fucking knife" The dark haired boy yells as peacekeepers come running out to stop the fight.

I look away when a movement in the ceiling catches my eye. I see a little girl, thirteen at most, is high in the rafters, playing with a small knife with a huge smile on her face. I smile too, the knife must have been the blue eyed boy's. I look over my shoulder and see that Callie has a huge smile on her face too, looking up at the young girl.

"Everybody" The colored women says, telling us to go back to training.

* * *

"A career. Do you know what that is" Mark asks, taking a sip of his soup.

"From district one" I say, knowing exactly what he means as I dig into my sandwich.

"And two" Callie adds, setting down her glass of wine.

"They train in a special academy until they're eighteen, then they volunteer, by that point" He sighs, taking a bite of bread, "Pretty deadly" He nods, mostly to himself.

"But they don't receive any special treatment" Effie quickly adds, "And I don't think they can have dessert, and you can" She smiles, at least she tries to cheer us up.

"So how good are they" I ask, slightly worried.

"Well really good, they win it almost every year" Mark says, playing with the food on his plate and avoiding eye contact with everyone.

"Almost" Callie whispers, probably to herself.

"They can be bigots, very big bigots" He says, looking up his cold blue eyes meet mine, they are dead.

"So I hear you can shoot" He says, changing to subject, as he know I got the message, keep my gayness hidden.

"I'm alright" I whisper, taking a sip of my white wine, stuff I was never allowed to have before today.

"Your better than alright. We used to buy from her. She always hit them right in the eye" Callie says, nodding as if to conform what happened so long ago.

"That was a long time ago" I snap, anger flooding my veins.

"He need to know what you can do so he can figure out a way to get you to live" She says, I see her jaw tighten and her eyes become a shade darker, telling me know I've angered her too.

"Maybe I don't want to live" I say, changeling her with my ice blue eyes.

"You're going to live, even if I have to kill everyone for it, you are going to make it back home" She shouts, standing up.

She takes a deep breath and looks at Effie and Mark.

"I'm going to bed" She whispers, quickly leaving the table.

I stare ahead, as memories cross my mind.

* * *

_It was the day of the reaping, and my emotions were running wild. Me and Callie were in the woods together._

_"I miss him" I sob into a twelve year old Latina._

_"It's okay Arizona" She whispers, running her hands through my eleven year old golden locks._

_"I can't do this Callie. My mom is going crazy and Dad is just going to work more and more" I whisper, looking up to her beautiful brown eyes, searching for wisdom._

_"Oh Arizona... It's going to be fine. We aren't going to be picked" She whispers, leaning her forehead against mine, my eyes fall to the ground._

_"You don't know that. He said he would get picked and he" A sob escapes my lips and tears fall, I can't finish my sentence._

_"I know. I know" She soothes, wiping away my tears._

_"What if you" I ask, looking up at her eyes through my blurry vision._

_"If I do I'll come back, okay" She says, a small smile and she nods._

_"Promise" I ask, biting my bottom lip._

_"I promise. I'll come back for you" She whispers._

_"Okay" I whisper, taking a deep breath as she wipes away the last of my tears._

* * *

_I had to stand in the back, as all children who are too young have to. I remember my stomach flipping as she reached for the name._

_"Calliope Torres" Her voice rings through clear._

_I can feel pain in my chest, as I see her come into the clear isle. I run forward, but peacekeepers stop me._

_"Somebody volunteer" I scream, causing her to turn around and look at me._

_I will never forget the sadness in those eyes. She slowly turned back around and walked back to the stage, not looking back._

* * *

_"Callie" I whisper, rushing to her as the door open._

_She quickly hugs me back._

_"Arizona I will make it back" She whispers, tears in her eyes as she looks down at me._

_I don't know why I did it, but I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers, many times I had though of it, but I had never done it before. Her red lips are softer than I imagined, and they taste so good, she tastes so good._

_Her hands find the sides of my face and she pulls me closer, holding my lips against hers._

_"Oh my" She whispers,tears falling as she pulls me into another hug._

_"I love you Calliope" I whisper, hugging her back with tears of my own._

_"I love you too Arizona" She whispers, pulling back she looks in my eyes and cups the side of my face._

_"I'm going to come back for you. You're dad and mom are going to keep for safe for me, and when I come back you are going to live with me in one of the huge houses in victor's village, okay" She says, tears running down her face._

_"Okay" I nod, wiping away her tears._

_"It will be okay" She whispers again._

_"Time's up" A peacekeeper says, taking me away._

* * *

I set down my glass and stand up.

"I'm done too" I say, my voice strong unlike how I am feeling.

I lift my head up as I walk to my bedroom, not letting them see the tears in my eyes. As soon as the door the my room closes I let go and weep for my long lost Calliope, the women who still has my heart, the one who made it back, but never talked to me again.


	7. Chapter 7

Arms fly off, a head is severed. Spears fly, going right through the gut. I can't help but imagine those dummies being real people, the though makes me take a gulp.

I look back down and focus on making the fire. I don't think that I'll ever really make a fire out there, as the smoke will give my location away, but it's best to know, just in case we are in some cold place.

Callie is climbing up a wet rope when it flips over, she tries to pull help back up, but ends up falling a good ten feet. I see the blue-eyed boy and two of his friends laughing at her. Rage fills me and I walk over to her.

"Go throw some knives" I order, bending down to her.

"What" She asks, sitting up and rubbing her elbow.

"Go throw some knives or something" I repeat.

"No, Mark said not to let them see anything we know how to do" She argues.

"I don't care, they watched you four years ago, and right now, those careers are looking at you like it's been forty years" I say, tilting my head in the direction of the little group.

I see her turn her head and the smirk that crosses the blue-eyed one makes me glare at him.

"Throw some" I order, getting back up and walking away.

I do stop and turn around to see what she does. She slowly gets up, a slight limp for the first few steps, but it goes away. She walks right past the group and picks up a knife. I watch her grip it a few times, then she grabs six more. I'm amazed at how quickly she throws them. I can't see where they land, but by the looks of the careers she did pretty damn good. She turns on her heel and walks away, going back to climbing the rope.

I look at the dummies, and I'm surprised to see she only hit one, but then I notice that it isn't one knife hitting it through the heart, it's one hitting it, and the rest hitting the back of the knife before it.

"Show off" I whisper to myself with a small smile.

* * *

I smile to myself as I see the Latina. She has on headphones and is singing to herself. She isn't very quiet though, but she sounds really good. I walk closer and I'm surprised to see that she is painting her arm.

"Hey" I say loudly, gently touching her back.

"Oh hey" She says, turning the music off.

"How did you do that" I ask, looking down at her arm, which doesn't even look like her arm anymore.

"Oh my arm? It's nothing, I just sometimes go down to the bakery and decorate the cakes" She smiles.

"Like we used to" I ask.

"Uh yeah" She says a flash of sadness in her eyes.

"Oh" I whisper, unsure of what to say now.

"Take a look at this" She smiles, walking over to the tree and putting her arm over the bark.

It fits perfectly, I can hardly see her arm.

"That amazing" I whisper, then I hear something behind me and I turn around.

The little girl who took the knife is standing there. She has skin like Callie, in fact she looks just like Callie. She smile at me before she turns around and walks away.

"She's cute" Callie smiles.

"She looks like you" I whisper, looking down at the ground.

"Too bad" Callie sighs.

I walk over to the board, I need to find out people's names. The first one I find is the little girl. She's from district eleven, her name is Sofia. She's only twelve. The next to spot my eye is the blue-eyed boy, his name is Cato. He has a three in one chance of winning according to the standings. I don't care for anybody else, so I walk away and go back to preparing for my death.

* * *

"Tomorrow they'll bring you in one by one and evaluate you. This is important because high ratings means more sponsors. This is the time to show them everything. Arizona use your bow, Callie show your skills. Make sure they remember you" Mark says, hanging over the table as he reaches for his flask.

"They go in district order so we will be last" Callie chimes in.

"Female tribute usually goes first, since Callie took Alex's spot she will go last" Effie states.

"So I get to be the very last? Great" Callie says, biting down hard into her sandwich.

* * *

We stand in the elevator together, not talking. We never talk, but I can feel the tension in the small space. All I want to do is kiss her. I want to tell her that I miss her. That it kills me to see that she has turned to drinking away her pain. I want to kiss her pain away, make love to her and tell her that I'm still in love with her.

When we get there and everybody is sitting in their respective spots, we have a spot at the way back. We don't sit close like I had secretly hoped for, but we are still close enough for me to feel the heat coming from her. We sit there for hours, not talking. I look up and notice that nobody else is in there.

I bounce my leg and tap my knee, waiting for them to call my name.

"Arizona Robbins" The voice calls.

I sigh and stand up, wiping the sweat from my hands on my legs. I walk to the door and grab the handle.

"Good luck" She whispers, I can feel her eyes on me.

I open the door and say "You too" before I shut it behind me.

I look up and see where the Gamemakers are. There is a feast going on, and none of them are looking at me. I scan what's on the floor and find a rack of bow.

I slowly pull one down and look back up, to see if anybody is watching me.

"Arizona Robbins, District Twelve" I yell up to them before I let an arrow fly.

I misjudged the weight of the arrow and it flies over the dummy's head, earning laughs from the few Gamemakers that were watching. They turn around and go back to eating.

I pick up another arrow and let it fly, hitting the target perfectly. I smile at my work and look up, but nobody is looking anymore. I feel rage takes its hold in me. I have anger issues. I look around for something I can do to get their attention, then I see an apple in the pigs mouth.

I bite my bottom lip and take out another arrow. I slowly judge where it will land, then I let it fly. The speed is amazing, the Pig was a good foot away from the wall, but the apple, with the arrow going through it, is lodged in the wall. I see looks of disbelief cross their faces.

"I was named after a state from long ago, a state that had deserts and was hard to survive in. I'm a survivor and I have scars to prove it" I say to them as I put up my bow.

"That's very nice" The lead Gamemaker says.

"Thank you for your consideration" I say, rolling my eyes and bowing before walking out of the over sized room.


	8. Chapter 8

"Are you crazy" Effie yells at me.

"I just got mad" I defend.

"Mad" She scoffs, pacing, "Do you realize that your actions reflect badly on all of us, not just you" She yells.

"They just want a good show, it's fine" Jackson speaks up from his place on the couch.

Effie scoffs, "How about it's just bad manners Jackson? How 'bout that"

Jackson just shakes his head.

"Well finally" She yells as Mark and Callie come in.

"I hope you notice we have a serous situation on our hands" She continues.

Callie just plops down on the couch next to me. Mark gives me a thumbs up and a smile. I smirk, as I know he isn't the slightest bit mad.

"Nice shooting Blondie" He says, going over to the wine cart and pouring himself a drink.

He starts laughing "W-what did? What did they do? When you... Shot the apple" He asks, sitting down with a drink in hand, his speech a little off, as he is already drunk.

"Well they looked very surprised" I say.

"Oh" He laughs again, getting a small chuckle from Jackson.

"Now what did you say? Thanks for" He asks, a huge smile.

"Your consideration" I answer, a real smile forming as I realize how funny it really is.

"Genus" Callie laughs from my side.

Effie isn't having any of it though, "I don't think you're going to find this funny if the Gamemakers decide to take it out-"

"On who" Callie interrupts, "On her? On me? I think they already have"

"Just have a drink Effie, calm down" Mark says, then leans forward to me, "I would have given anything to have seen to look on their faces when you shot that apple" with his smile, then he leans back and takes a swig of his drink.

* * *

We all sit and wait as Caesar calls out the numbers of people. I silently curse when Cato gets a ten out of twelve, which is the best anybody ever gets. The little girl, Sofia gets a score of seven, which is really good. Callie got a score of five when she was here last. The men's numbers are being called first, so Callie's number will be called before mine.

"From District Twelve, Calliope Torres" I watch as Callie leans forward, waiting for her number to be called.

"A score of, eight" Caesar finally gets out.

"Good job Cal" Jackson says with a smile.

"We can work with that" Mark says with no emotion in his voice.

"That's better than what you had" Callie shoots back at him.

"And from District Twelve" Caesar's voice draws our attention back to the screen.

"Arizona Robbins with a score of" He pauses, looking down at the number.

"With a score of eleven" He says.

"That's awesome" Callie says, talking over whatever else Caesar is saying.

"I thought they'd hate me" I say, furrowing my brow in confusion.

"Must have liked your guts Blondie, you did kill a man" Mark says.

Jackson stands up, lifting up his glass.

"To Arizona Robbins, the girl on fire" He toasts.

* * *

I'm sitting at the table. Yang, Jackson, Effie and I are eating, it's a 'celebration' for my great score. I can't help but to feel alone, as the beautiful Latina is not by my side.

"Oh Mark, you should join us, we are having some of your favorite" Effie chimes, her voice annoying as ever.

Mark slowly walks to his chair and sits down.

"Where's Callie" I ask.

"She's in her room. Now, listen. Tomorrow's the last day and they let us work with our own tributes right before the game, so you and I will be going down at nine" He says, taking a bite out of some type of bread.

I furrow my brows, me and Callie always work together.

"Well what about her" I ask, tilting my head.

"Oh, she says she wants to be training on his own from now on" He says as if it's no big deal.

I feel my hear break at those words, she doesn't want to work with me anymore. He must notice that I'm upset because he clears his throat.

"This kind of thing does happen at this point. There's only one winner, right" He smiles, trying to give me some happiness or something.

"I guess so" I whisper.

"We should have some dessert" Effie chimes in, tying to help in her own annoying way.

I eat and go to bed, crying myself to sleep for a second time. I don't know what I did wrong, and I really hope she isn't planing on going against me in the arena, because I know I wouldn't be able to kill her. I don't know if I'll be able to kill anybody. I sigh and let darkness take over my body.


	9. Chapter 9

I look at myself in the full length mirror one again, I'm all dressed up for the interview with Caesar.

"You look amazing, don't worry" Jackson says from his spot on the couch.

"I don't feel amazing" I sigh.

"Don't you know how beautiful you look" He asks, a charming white smile and clear blue eyes.

"No! And I don't know how to make people like me, how do you make people like you" I ask, a bit of anger in his failed attempt to calm my nerves.

"You made me like you" he sighs, standing up.

"That's different, I wasn't trying" I shot back.

"Exactly. Just be yourself, I'll be there the whole time, and just pretend that you're talking to me. Okay" He asks, gently placing a hand on each of my shoulders.

"Okay" I whisper.

"Lets go then" He says with a smile, opening the door for me.

"Thank you Jackson" I smile at him, giving him the dimples.

* * *

We wait in line, district one at the front, twelve at the back. Girl-boy order with a small screen at the front showing us that is going on outside the hallway and on the stage.

I scoff at a girl named Leah Murphy, from District One, dressed in a pink dress that shows off half of her ass. She is friends with Cato, or at least they were hanging out together.

I stare at the tiny screen, not really watching until I see something.

* * *

Cato is on the screen, "I'm prepared and just ready to go" He says, tapping his leg like her has somewhere to be.

He has blonde hair muscles and blue eyes, which scares me because he looks so much my brother, I might not be able to kill him, when I know he could kill me no problem.

* * *

"So you can climb trees, your pretty good a finding food, you want to be a hunter like Arizona" Caesar asks the small Latina.

"Yeah, I really like her" She smiles at the camera, I notice that her eyes are the same deep brown as Callie's.

I take a deep breath as I feel Callie's eyes on me, but I don't dare turn around.

* * *

A man comes and gently guide me forward.

"From district 12. District 12, you know her as the girl on fire" Caesar says, and the cheering of the crowd follows as I walk on stage.

I look out at the millions of people that are in the crowd.

"Well, we know her as the lovely Arizona Robbins" He says, taking my hand and letting me sit down.

I hear the buzz of the crowd as I look at the camera's in my face. Then I feel him looking at me, oh god he asked me something.

"What" I ask, blinking and looking at the man holding my hand.

"I said, that was quite an entrance that you made at the tribute parade the other day. Do you want to tell us about it" He asks with a dazzling smile.

"Well, I was just hoping that I wouldn't burn to death. I was in a fire a few years back, and I have some burns so I was terrified" I say with a light laugh.

"So were the flames real" He asks.

"Yes, in fact I'm wearing them right now" I look out into the crowd and my eyes meet with clear blue ones, and he nods once.

"Do you want to see" I ask, a smirk playing upon my lips as the crowd goes wild.

"Is it safe" He asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course" I giggle, standing up and twirling a few times.

The bottom of my dress sparks flames as I twirl, which I quickly get tired of doing, so I sit back down.

"That was amazing Arizona, I just have a few more questions for you though" He says.

"Of course you do" I say, playfully rolling my eyes.

"So this Alex" He starts.

"Alex was a good guy, and I feel really bad for what happened. He was hitting on me and I turned him down. He got a bit mad and tried to hit me. I grabbed the first thing I could and hit hit with it. It was a glass and it slit his throat open. Mark and I tried to save him, but he was gone" I sigh, letting a tear fall down the side of my face.

"Now, after that, I almost hate to ask, but you volunteered for a very young girl, who, from what I know, is not related to you" He says.

"Oh yeah" I chuckle, "This isn't the first time you've seen me at a reaping. Remember when our victor Callie was reaped" I say.

"Oh my, you're that girl" He gasps.

"Yeah, I'm the girl that begged people to volunteer for her" I smile.

"And Aria, the girl whose name was drawn is Callie's little sister, isn't she" He asks, but he already know the answer.

"I couldn't let an old friend loose a sister" I say sadly, looking into the camera, hoping Callie is looking.

"And what did she say to you" He asks, leaning in closer.

"I promised I'd try to win" I say softly.

"Of course you did" He whisper, lightly squeezing my hand.

The buzzer goes off, telling us that our time is up. He grabs my hand and we stand up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, from District Twelve, Arizona Robbins, the girl on fire" He shout to the crowd, making them go wide again.

* * *

"Good job Blondie" Mark smile at me.

"Thank you" I say politely.

"Nice dress too" He says, then turns to Effie, "Not yours"

"And now Calliope Torres" Caesar's voice yells from on the stage.

Mark and I both turn and watch the screen, Calliope looks beautiful in her dress, it has flames going up the sides, a nice follow up to mine.

"Please Caesar, it's Callie" Callie smile as she hugs Caesar.

"So your sister? How old is she" He asks.

"She's twelve, same age I was" She lets a tear slip, but quickly wipes it away.

"That's so sad, but at least she was saved, by the vary same girl who tried to save you, is that correct" He asks, but he already knows.

"She protects the things she loves" Callie smiles sadly.

"Well Callie, what is it like? To be back here" He asks, changing the topic.

"Well, I don't like it one bit Caesar to tell you the truth" She sighs.

"Oh really? I was told you volunteered to take the place of our lost tribute" He says, tilting his head.

"Yes I did" She smiles, then sighs, "I only did that so Mark wouldn't have to"

"Oh, so you and Mark" Caesar asks like a teenage girl.

"Oh god no" Callie laughs, then turns serious, "I like this girl" She states.

"Is it the same girl you told us about when you came four years? If so, if you win this time she'll have to say yes" He smiles.

"I didn't volunteer to win" She says, locking eyes with Caesar.

"Then why did you" He asks.

"To make sure my girl wins" She whispers.

"Wait, wait wait. What are you talking about" He asks.

"That girl that I talked about the first time I was here? She was an eleven year old blonde, a day away from being able to volunteer for me" She says, some gasps in the crowd arise, as they have figures it out, but Callie isn't done.

She locks eyes with the camera, takes a deep breath and says, "I'm here with the girl I'm in love with, and I'm not going to be coming home. She is."

"What a shame we can't go back and see how she feels, but we ca" Caesar stops talking when I am on the stage walking to Callie.

I see peacekeepers coming for me, as this is not allowed, but I just speed up. I walk right past the stunned Caesar and next to Callie. Her eyes are wide in surprise. I move hair off the side of her face closest to the camera and push some of mine back, I need to whole world to see this. I place a hand on the side of her face and pull her into a kiss. It isn't rushed, it isn't needy, it's just perfection. I slowly pull away, then look at the camera.

"There Aria, I finally did it" I say to Callie's little sister, who I know is watching before I walk back off the stage.

"Well that was an unexpected turn of events" I hear Caesar says with a light laugh.

"District Twelve will not be overlooked this year" Calliope's strong voice answers.

The crowd cheers and Callie is soon walking towards me.

"That was amazing, I can sell star crossed loves from District Twelve" Mark laughs, leading us to the elevator.


	10. Chapter 10

Me and Callie don't talk, even though we both know we need to. We ride up together in silence, but I an feel her eyes on me. I don't dare to look at her, not when tomorrow we will be fighting for our lives.

We get off the elevator and sit down at the table. For the first time I really take in what I eat, letting the mix of flavors settle before I put new ones in. Tonight will be the last time we all eat together. The last time we get to see Mark and Effie. They don't dare speak a word ether.

We all get up and go to the living room to watch the replay of what happened mere hours ago.

We both look amazing, I look happy when I twirl around, sad when I talk about Alex and even sadder when I talk about the reaping.

Callie comes on and looks amazing, the confession of her love. I can't help but smile when the camera pans to me, all but running to the Latina beauty. Callie is giggling at my side on the couch, most likely at her own face.

I hold my breath when I brush away her hair. I watch as both of our eyes drift close, our lips meeting perfectly. We pull away and my blue eyes meet the camera.

"There Aria, I finally did it" My voice rings loud and clear before I walk away.

I see Callie's eyes don't open, and the camera pans to Caesar.

"Well that was an unexpected turn of events" He says, looking back at Callie.

"District Twelve will not be overlooked this year" She says, a smile coming across her face as she starts moving of stage.

The screen goes dark, telling us that it's over and I can feel Callie's eyes on me, but again, I do not look at her. Tomorrow at dawn we will be roused and prepared for the arena. The actual Games don't start until ten, but Callie and I must make an early start.

The feeling of dread grabs hold of me. We have to say goodbye to Mark and Effie. Jackson will be with me until I go into the games.

Effie takes both of us by the hand and, with actual tears in her eyes, wishes us well. Thanks us for being the best tributes it has ever been her privilege to sponsor. And then, because it's Effie she adds "I wouldn't be at all surprised if I finally get promoted to a decent district next year!" Then she kisses us each on the cheek and hurries out of the room.

I sigh at her emotion, she may be annoying and stuff, but she means well.

Mark leans up against the wall, looking at us.

"Any final words" Callie asks.

"Run away, fast as you can" He says, looking me in the eye, then he turns to Callie, "Do as we discussed."

She bites her bottom lip and nods.

"Run? To where" I ask.

"Away from the Cornucopia. You aren't up to fighting at it, it's just a bloodbath" Callie says, but she doesn't look at me.

"Find water, don't go for the bow" Mark adds.

"And after that" I ask, trying to milk something out of them.

"Stay alive" He says, meeting my eyes with cold blue ones.

I take a deep breath and nod. I notice that he isn't drunk tonight.

"You're going to stop drinking, right" I ask, not breaking eye contact.

"I will only be watching you, no time for drinking" He says, his jaw tightening.

"We never drink during the games" Callie says, anger in her voice.

I nod, clinching my jaw. I have nothing more to say, and I have to get up at dawn so I go to my room.

* * *

One hour, two, three pass, and my eyelids refuse to get heavy. My brain races, where will we be? Will it be a desert? If it is did they take if off of my name? Will they play some type of cruel joke on me? Will there be trees? Oh god please let there be trees. Trees are my home, as I sleep in the forest most nights and climb up them to stay away from anybody that might come.

After a good half an hour I stand up, I need to move. After pacing for a while the room becomes stuffy, I need real air. I quickly walk down the hallway and to the door that leads outside. I am surprised to find that it is open a bit, letting a breeze of air come through, but it isn't enough. I open the door the rest of the way and walk outside. Air fills my lungs and give me a needed release.

I open my eyes and the lights of the city burn them, but after a few blinks the burning stops. I notice her silhouette, and I know she hasn't seen me, she is turned and looking down at the street below us. I could turn around now, pretend like I was never here. The shine from her raven locks draws me in, even the tension that I know is going to here once she knows I'm here is better than the stuffy room I left behind.

I slowly walk over to her, careful to be quiet.

"You should be getting some sleep" I say quietly.

I see her jump, startled, but she doesn't turn. The shake of her head lets me know she's going to answer.

"I didn't want to miss the party. It's for us, after all" She says, still looking down.

I come up beside her and lean over the edge of the rail. The wide streets are full of dancing people. I squint to make out their tiny figures in more detail.

"Are they in costumes" I ask, a bit confused.

"Of course, dressed up like us and past victors" She chuckles, "Couldn't sleep ether?"

"Couldn't turn my mind off" I say.

"Me neither" She sighs, tilting her head to see me.

"Thinking about your family" I ask, seeing worry in her eyes.

"No" She turns her whole body toward me, "Thinking about what I have to do tomorrow, for a second time."

"You can make it home again" I say, gently taking her hands in mine.

"I wish" She says, looking down at the ground.

"That's no way to be thinking" I say, gently tilting her head back up to meet my eyes.

"I don't care about anything but you" She says, biting her lip and looking at me with sadness in her eyes.

"Care about what Mark said, about staying alive" I whisper.

She shakes her head, smiles at me, sad and mockingly "Okay. Thanks for the tip, Blondie."

"You have to fight Callie, you have to fight to go back home" I whisper, a bit angrily.

"Give my sister my best when you make it back" She whispers, looking down and letting a tear fall.

I grab the back of her neck and pull her into a kiss, trying to make her forget those thoughts. She kisses back for a second before putting her hands on my chest and pushing me away.

"We can't" She whispers, letting our foreheads touch.

"Please? We both won't make it out, please" I beg, tears running down my face.


	11. Chapter 11

**Warning: Smut**

**If you don't want the smut read the** _italicized_ **part.**

* * *

"I love you" She whispers, taking a deep breath.

I open my eyes, her brown ones are already locked on mine. I see so many emotions running through them, sadness, anger, regret, she's an open book.

"I love you too" I whisper, kissing her again.

She kisses back, her hands moving from my chest to my neck, holding me close. I let my hands wrap around her waist. I feel her tongue run over my lips. I let her enter my mouth as my hands slowly move down, feeling her ass for the first time.

She pulls away and grabs my hand, leading me to my bedroom. She shuts the door and pins me to it before she kisses me again.

The lust sends waves to my core and my hands claw at the bottom of her shirt. She steps back, balls up the bottom of my nightgown and pulls it over my head, throwing it behind her, leaving me in just panties. I take a deep breath as her eyes look me over. She's seen me naked before, once before, and it wasn't like this.

* * *

_"Arizona" Calliope's voice yells as she walks into my room._

_"Cal... Calliope" I sob, running to her._

_"I'm so sorry" She whispers._

_"They... They didn't even show it" I sob, they didn't show my brother being killed, just his picture in the sky, and they didn't show that until about twenty minutes ago._

_"I know, I know" She soothes, running her fingers through my hair._

_I cry into her. She just stands there and hold me._

_"Callie" My moms voice questions as she walks into the room._

_"Hi Mrs. Robbins, can I spend the night" She asks._

_"You shouldn't be over here, it's past curfew" She scolds, slamming the door on her way back out._

_"Stay" I whisper, holding her closer._

_"I am" She whispers back, placing a hand on the side of my face._

_"Good" I whisper, biting my lip, I could kiss her right now._

_"You're hot, take off your clothes" She orders._

_"What" I ask, confused._

_"Arizona, your burning up, take off your clothes. I won't judge" She whispers._

_I take off my clothes and she climbs into bed with me. She holds me all night long as I morn the loss of my only brother. In the morning I get dressed and she doesn't say anything about it. We never speak of it again._

* * *

"You have scars" She whispers, her fingers lightly running over the burn scars.

"I did get set on fire" I chuckle.

She doesn't say anything, she stares at her hand. It moves from my waist all the way up my left side and on my shoulder. I let her touch me, her fingers aren't hurrying, her face isn't of disgust like her mothers was when she treated me, it's like Aria's was, full of sadness.

"Who treated you" She asks, glancing up at my face.

"Aria and your mom" I whisper, seeing concern in her eyes.

"Good" She moves closer to me.

"You're just as beautiful as you were seven years ago" She whispers before kissing me again, wrapping her arms around my now bare waist.

I wrap my arms around her neck, pulling her closer and leaning into the kiss. She bends down and her hands are placed under my ass. She lifts up and I wrap my legs around her, never breaking the kiss she walks over to the bed, gently setting me down and laying on top of me.

I let her kiss my body, let my body react in its own way. I am not proud to say it, but she isn't the first person I've been to bed with, as girls find a women that lives in the forest and has scars very attractive. All of those girls combined never made my body react this way.

She takes a nipple in her mouth. I gasp and my body arches, wanting, no, needing more. Her tongue flicks it, making me moan. She leaves that nipple and makes a trail of wet open mouthed kisses to my other one. She repeats her actions on this one too. After that she kisses my neck, then I feel her hand on my thigh. I take a deep breath when teeth nip at my neck.

"Is this okay" She whispers, looking up at me with beautiful brown eyes.

"Don't fucking stop" I say, pushing her head back into my neck.

"Pull down your panties" Callie orders.

I groan, she could do it herself. I don't question her though, I rise my hips up to get them off my ass, throwing them to the side, and I hear a moan escape her lips when my leg hits her clothed center on accident. I smirk as I flip us over. It's easy to do since she is caught off guard.

I smile down at her before I lean down and kiss her with love instead of lust. The kiss quickly turns into need, wanting, lust. I don't have time to break the kiss, so I take the collar of her shirt in both hands and rip it in half. I hear her moan, I smirk and pull away.

I simply look in awe at the deep valley and the soft orbs of darker skin it lay between. I catch sight of a stray drop of sweat running down her chest, between that very valley, and I lean forward to catch it on my tongue, licking upwards and reversing it's path up to her neck. Even her sweat tastes sweet.

"Oh fuck" Callie moans, arching her hips into my leg, grinding her clothed center into my naked leg.

"Shit" I moan when her leg hits my center, sending a wave of pleasure though my body.

She doesn't slow her actions, so I move so she can grind against my leg without hitting my center. I bite her neck, careful its not hard enough to leave a mark.

"Touch me" She moans.

I don't need to be told twice. I grip the two breasts in her hands as best as I can. Their size is too much for my hands, and some of the warm soft, tit flesh spilled over the sides. They are, as I hoped, pillow soft. The load moan that escapes her lips causes me to release them, it sounded like pain, not pleasure.

"Did I hurt you" I ask, looking up to her.

The look on her face answers me though, she's on cloud nine. I take that cue and let my hands fill up with as much of the heavy breasts as I can fit, feeling her nipples press against the tops of my palms, cupping them before squeezing. She moans again, arching her back and speeding up her movements against my leg.

I remove my left hand and replace it with my mouth. Tenderly, softly, I began kissing the pliant flesh in a circle, from it's top to the underside, trailing my tongue around in between kisses. Creating smaller and smaller circles around her nipple, I tease the most sensitive part of her chest by drawing closer and closer, before moving away again. Her moans are constant and getting louder. I gently bite down on the delicate flesh, earning a load near shriek. The noise startles me, causing me to look up at her.

Her hands lace through my golden locks, pushing me back into her breast "Just keep fucking going" She orders.

I don't need to be told twice. I began sucking hard on her breast, squeezing the other. I roll her nipple around with my tongue, graze it with my teeth and stuff it in my mouth as I childishly try to fit as much of Callie's large tit as possible into my too small mouth.

I am possessed. I suck one breast for a while as I groped the other before switching. Paying each one the reverence and respect as the works of art demand. I could tell Callie is coming close to an orgasm by how loud her moans are so I increase my speed and pressure.

I then pull my leg away, earning a loud grunt of frustration from the Latina beauty below me. Still sucking and groping, I reach my free hand between her legs. There is no teasing, no tantalizingly slow motions, I simply find the wet opening to her sex and slip two of her fingers inside. She is hot, tight and incredibly wet and the feel alone almost makes me orgasm myself.

"Oh fuck" She cries, spreading her legs slightly, her fingers tightening their grip on my head.

Her rolling hips now fucked herself onto my fingers. She squeezes herself around my invading digits, feeling amazing. I gently brush my thumb against her clit. Immediately I can feel her tighten and spasm, then gush around my hand.

"Oh sweet Jesus, oh Christ, oh fuck, oh fuck, fuckity-fuck, FUCK!" Callie shrieks as she comes, causing me to smile at her cuteness.

I keep fucking her despite the constrictive grip around my fingers, only releasing when I can feel her body slow before stopping. I keep kissing her perfect breasts although the bites and intensity were now gone, just soft, sweet kisses on the welcome flesh.

"That was amazing" She pants after some time.

I smile and drape around her waist.


	12. Chapter 12

**Smut and fluff, not importation to storyline, so you can skip.**

* * *

It only takes a minute before she rolls us over, on top of me once again. She looks down at me, and a shy smile crosses her lips.

"This is my first time" She says.

I can't help but roll my eyes, I know that she hasn't slept with anybody. She hasn't talked to anybody but her family since she came back.

"Don't roll your eyes" She says, sounding angry, but the smile on her face gives her away.

"You're cute when your shy" I giggle.

"Shut up" She says, rolling her eyes and pulling her pants down, reveling that she wasn't wearing panties and showing off trimmed curls.

"Holy shit" I whisper, my eyes glued at the beauty.

"Don't stare" She whines as she lays on top of me, making me loose sight of the diamond.

She gently kisses my lips. Her hands roam the length of my body, starting with a gentle caress at the nape of my neck before running down my shoulders, over the sides of my breasts before the narrowing of my waist and then resting at the point where her my hips flare out. I reach up my hand and let it touch her hip.

Kisses along the shoulder, kisses on the breasts and sucking of the nipples and whatever else she must have remembered, because she is clearing coping my actions, not that I'm complaining, I'm dripping. What she lacks in experience she makes up with pure determination.

She slowly kisses down my body, earning moans from me. When she is finally between my legs she looks up at me, biting her lip.

"You have to tell me if I do something wrong, okay" She asks, fear in her eyes.

"Wow, vulnerable you is really, really cute" I smile.

"I'm serious" She protests, although that statement is undercut when she bites my exposed hip.

"Just go with what feels right, you'll do fine" I said whisper, reaching down and stroking her hair.

She begins by kissing my slick lips, almost as much as she'd have kissed my real mouth. It is an awkward move but it still feels good, getting a small, soft moan from me. She then licked my length, causing me to shudder and moan. Another kiss, this time with tongue, earned a groan from deep inside me.

After a few minutes I look down in amazement, moans and curses streaming from my lips. Her tongue's working hard, exploring my depths and providing delicious pleasure along the walls of my cunt. I can't help it as my legs wrap around her head, my pussy tightening around the tongue inside me. I had braced myself for some really clumsy, teenage fumbling from her but it seems I was very wrong. This is groundbreaking.

"Oh god, it's good" I moan, "It's really fucking good" I encourage.

I can feel her mouth twitch into a smile. Her hands go to my ass, lifting me up and going deeper inside of me with her tongue. I gasp of air, lifting up for her to get even deeper inside of me. Her hand reaches up and plays with a nipple, sending waves through my whole body.

Then she open her eyes, locking with mine. They are darker than normal, lust clearly evident in them. My hips buck against her mouth.

Her tongue then leaves my folds, causing me to groan in frustration, I was close. They reattach to the hard bud of my clit.

"Fuck yes" I moan as jolts rush through my body.

I'm so close, but I need one thing to send me over the edge.

"Fingers" I pant out.

She hear and responded, slipping two fingers inside of me easily. It feels so good, her sucking becomes harder and her fingers thrust deep inside of me.

"Come on baby, Come for me" She whispers, lust dripping from her voice.

I don't know if it is the fingers slamming into me, the sucking, or what she said that pushes me over, but I come, and I come hard.

My hips buck and I ride it out. I can feel my juices coat her hand and my walls tighten even harder, making it so she couldn't move her hand even if she tried, but I hold she doesn't try, because that would hurt. Her tongue the flicks my bundle of nerves, sending me over the edge just as I was coming down. I know sounds escape my lips, but I don't know what I am saying, I am on cloud nine, my own world. Slowly I came back down, and my walls relax, allowing her to slip her hand out.

"I think you broke my hand" She says, flexing her coated hand.

"You loved it" I whisper, the bed bounces as she plops down next to me.

"I love you" She whispers, making me open my eyes.

The look in her eyes tell me everything.

"I love you too" I whisper, pulling her into a soft kiss.

"Let's sleep" She whispers, pulling away.

"You don't want to go another round" I ask, I really want to taste her, at least once before we have to go out there.

"No, I want to fall asleep in your arms, and if we go another round I'm going to pass out" She says.

"I want to taste you" I whisper, pleading.

She sighs, rolling her eyes.

"I'm not kidding" I say, pushing her lightly.

"I know, that's what makes it so cute" She laughs.

"I am not cute. I am hot" I say, sticking out my tongue.

She catches my tongue between her lips. I smile into the kiss before she pulls away.

"Just sleep" She whispers, wrapping an arm around me.

"Okay" I whisper, leaning into her.

Her heartbeat is the last thing I hear before the darkness overtakes me.


	13. Chapter 13

I wake up to lips on mine. I quickly kiss back, and she pulls away, chuckling.

"Morning" She whispers, leaving my lips and kissing my jawline.

"This is my wake up call" I ask, leaning my head back to give her more room to play with my neck.

"This is goodbye" She whispers, sucking my neck.

"What" I ask, but she doesn't stop sucking, and it's starting to hurt.

"Callie your going to leave a mark" I whisper.

"I'm going to leave a mark on what's mine" She whispers, moving to the other side of my neck and gently sucking.

I can't help but the moan that escapes when her tongue gently runs over it. After a minute she stops sucking and lightly kisses the wet spot.

"My god Calliope" I whisper.

"Give me one" She orders.

I don't need to be told twice, but I don't give hickeys though sucking, I bite. I lift up my head and bite the delicate skin on the side of her neck. The yelp that escapes those beautiful lips lets me know that it'll bruise.

"Shit Arizona, are you a vampire" She asks.

"Maybe" I giggle, then kiss up to her jawline.

I follow her jawline all the way up to her ear.

I whisper "Maybe I just like the way you taste" I take her earlobe in my teeth, gently biting.

"Okay, your hot, not cute" She whispers.

"I love you" I whisper.

"I said two minutes, not twenty" Jackson's voice comes from the door.

"Oh shit" I whisper.

"It's fine, now listen, Jackson is going to prep you. You need to take his advise, and I don't want any of this to take any of his words away, got it" She asks, and I can hear the seriousness in her voice.

"Got it" I say.

"Bye, I'll see you in the games" She whispers, kissing me once and leaving me.

"Come on, get up. I gave you two an extra ten minutes" Jackson says, coming right in.

"Fuck" I mumble, sitting up.

"Put this on" He orders, throwing a simple black dress.

"Okay boss" I say, rolling my eyes and putting on the dress.

"We got to hurry, your ride is waiting" He says, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the room.

* * *

I climb into the aircraft and a women in white is there.

"Arm please" She says, holding out her hand like the people who take blood at the reaping.

"What is that" I ask, looking at the large syringe in her other hand.

"It's your tracker, can't be loosing another tribute in the arena" She says.

I nod at this answer and give her my arm.

"Don't worry, they all get one too" She says when I flinch.

"Good" I say through gritted teeth.

Jackson comes in and leads me to another room where breakfast is being served, I eat as much as I can. Who knows how much food there will be in the arena.

We get to the arena and go to the catacombs that lie beneath the arena. We follow instructions to my destination, a chamber for my preparation. In the Capitol, they call it the Launch Room. In the districts, it's referred to as the Stockyard. The place animals go before slaughter.

I don't really know what I'm doing, but I mange to take a shower and brush my teeth. Jackson takes my hands and write on my nails.

"What are you doing? I don't think anybody's going to care about my nails in there" I snap at him after ten minutes.

"You're the girl on fire Arizona, you have to have some fire" He snaps right back.

I shake my head but allow him to continue. He does my hair in my two simple braids, the way my mom used to. The clothes arrive, the same for every tribute. Jackson has had no say in my outfit, but he helps me dress in the undergarments, simple tawny pants, light green blouse, sturdy brown belt, and thin, hooded black jacket that falls to my thighs.

"The material in the jacket's designed to reflect body heat. Expect some cool nights" he says as he slips it on me.

The boots, worn over skintight socks, are better than I could have hoped for. Soft leather not unlike my ones at home. These have a narrow flexible rubber sole with treads though. Good for running.

I think I'm finished when Jackson pulls the gold pin from his pocket. I had completely forgotten about it. It's the one that Aria gave me. I look at it closer now, and I smile at what it is. It's a fire.

"Where did you get that" I ask, taking it with both hands.

"Off the outfit you wore on the first day" he says, "It's your district token, right"

"Yeah, I guess it is" I smile, handing it back to him and he pins it to my shirt.

"It barely cleared the review board. Some thought the pin could be used as a weapon, giving you an unfair advantage. But eventually, they let it through" He smiles, a mix of emotions in his blue eyes.

"Yay" I say, then plop back down on the couch.

"Nothing to do but wait" He says, plopping down next to me.

We sit in silence for a long time.

"Do you want to talk" He asks, interrupting it.

"Not really" I say, not looking at him.

"Nice hickey" He says, a chuckle escaping his lips.

"Thanks" I smile, looking over at his.

"You know, I'm not allowed to bet, but if I could I'd bet on you" He says.

"I'd bet on Calliope" I say, not even thinking about it.

"Arizona" He sighs.

"I want her to live" I say, meeting his eyes, daring him to say something else.

"She has been lying to you" He sighs, looking away.

"Uh what" I ask, turning my whole body to him.

"She's working with the careers Arizona. I'm not allowed to tell you, but she... She's not who you think she is" He says, looking down at the ground.

"What are you saying? She's going to try to kill me" I ask, my voice raising a bit in anger.

"Yeah, she is" He whispers, glancing up at me, his eyes full of truth.

My heart breaks. He's telling the truth. He pulls me into a hug, I don't cry. I just let him hold me. We stay like that until a pleasant female voice announces it's time to prepare for launch.

I walk over and stand on the circular metal plate. "Remember what Mark said, run, stay alive" He says, I nod in response, "You're alone out there Arizona, don't wait for Callie"

"I know" I whisper.

He leans down and kisses me on the forehead, "Good luck, girl on fire."

A a glass cylinder is lowers around me, cutting him off from me. He taps on the glass, causing me to look up at him. He taps his fingers under his chin. Head high. I lift my chin and stand as straight as I can.

The cylinder begins to rise. For maybe fifteen seconds, I'm in darkness and then I can feel the metal plate pushing me out of the cylinder, into the open air. For a moment, my eyes are dazzled by the bright sunlight and I'm conscious only of a strong wind with the hopeful smell of pine trees.

Then a voice booms all around me, "Ladies and gentlemen, let the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games begin!"


	14. Chapter 14

Sixty seconds. That's how long we're required to stand on our metal circles before the sound of a gong releases us. Step off before the minute is up, and land mines blow your legs off. Sixty seconds to take in the ring of tributes all equidistant from the Cornucopia, a giant golden horn shaped like a cone with a curved tail, the mouth of which is at least twenty feet high, spilling over with the things that will give us life here in the arena. Food, containers of water, weapons, medicine, garments, fire starters. Strewn around the Cornucopia are other supplies, their value decreasing the farther they are from the horn. For instance, only a few steps from my feet lays a three-foot square of plastic. Certainly it could be of some use in a downpour. But there in the mouth, I can see a tent pack that would protect from almost any sort of weather. If I had the guts to go in and fight for it against the other twenty-three tributes. Which I have been instructed not to do.

We're on a flat, open stretch of ground. A plain of hard-packed dirt. Behind the tributes across from me, I can see nothing, indicating either a steep downward slope or even cliff. To my right lies a lake. To my left and back, spars piney woods. This is where Mark would want me to go, immediately.

I look at the mouth of the Capricornia, sitting right there is a bow, just for me. I can run, I'm fast. I position myself to run, but not away like Mark had told me to, but right into the Capricornia. I can get the bow first I might be able to make it out.

Then I see her, she's about four platforms to my left, but I can tell she's looking at me. I squint, she's shaking her head, but why does she care? She's going to kill me.

The sound of the gong interrupts my thoughts. I've missed it! I've missed my chance! Because those extra couple of seconds I've lost by not being ready are enough to change my mind about going in.

My feet shuffle for a moment, confused at the direction my brain wants to take and then I lunge forward, scoop up the sheet of plastic and a loaf of bread. The pickings are so small and I'm so angry with Callie for distracting me that I sprint in twenty yards to retrieve a bright orange backpack that could hold anything because I can't stand leaving with virtually nothing.

A boy, I think from District 9, reaches the pack at the same time I do and for a brief time we grapple for it and then he coughs, splattering my face with blood. I stagger back, repulsed by the warm, sticky spray.

Then the boy slips to the ground. That's when I see the knife in his back. Already other tributes have reached the Cornucopia and are spreading out to attack. Callie ten yards away, running toward me, one hand clutching a half-dozen knives. She never misses, and I'm her next target.

I freeze for a second, as this is the women who I woke up to this morning. Then it snaps, adrenaline shoots through me and I sling the pack over one shoulder and run full-speed for the woods. I can hear the blade whistling toward me and reflexively hike the pack up to protect my head. The blade lodges in the pack. Both straps on my shoulders now, I make for the trees.

Somehow I know the girl will not pursue me. That she'll be drawn back into the Cornucopia before all the good stuff is gone. A grin crosses my face. Thanks for the knife Callie, a knife to the back, ha, if it wasn't here, if it wasn't me I'd laugh, but it is me, and it feels like a knife to the back. I bite my lip and keep running.

At the edge of the woods I turn for one instant to survey the field. About a dozen or so tributes are hacking away at one another at the horn. Several lie dead already on the ground. I find Callie fighting with another girl, and quickly the girl is dead. I shake my head and continue looking. Those who have taken flight are disappearing into the trees or into the void opposite me.

I continue running until the woods have hidden me from the other tributes then slow into a steady jog that I think I can maintain for a while. For the next few hours, I alternate between jogging and walking, putting as much distance as I can between myself and my competitors. I lost my bread during the struggle with the boy from District 9 but managed to stuff my plastic in my sleeve so as I walk I fold it neatly and tuck it into a pocket.

I also free the knife, it's a fine one with a long sharp blade, serrated near the handle, which will make it handy for sawing through things, and slide it into my belt. I don't dare stop to examine the contents of the pack yet. I just keep moving, pausing only to check for pursuers.

I can go a long time. I know that from my living in the woods, but I will need water. I keep a sharp eye out for any sign of it. No luck.

The woods begin to evolve, and the pines are intermixed with a variety of trees, some I recognize, some completely foreign to me. At one point, I hear a noise and pull my knife, thinking I may have to defend myself, but I've only startled a rabbit.

"Good to see you," I smirk, if there's one rabbit, there could be hundreds just waiting to be snared.

I keep walking, no need to jog anymore, funny though, I don't feel too bad. The days of gorging myself have paid off. I've got staying power even though I'm short on sleep, I can't help to to smirk when I think of last night, but I quickly put on my strong face, hiding all emotions.

Being in the woods is rejuvenating. I'm glad for the solitude, even though it's an illusion, because I'm probably on-screen right now. Not consistently but off and on. There are so many deaths to show the first day that a tribute trekking through the woods isn't much to look at, but they'll show me enough to let people know I'm alive, uninjured and on the move.

One of the heaviest days of betting is the opening, when the initial casualties come in. But that can't compare to what happens as the field shrinks to a handful of players.

It's late afternoon when I begin to hear the cannons. Each shot represents a dead tribute. The fighting must have finally stopped at the Cornucopia. They never collect the bloodbath bodies until the killers have dispersed.

On the opening day, they don't even fire the cannons until the initial fighting's over because it's too hard to keep track of the fatalities. I allow myself to pause, panting, as I count the shots.

One ... two ... three ... on and on until they reach eleven. Eleven dead in all. Thirteen left to play. My fingernails scrape at the dried blood the boy from District 9 coughed into my face. He's gone, certainly. I wonder about Callie. Has she lasted through the day? God I hope so.

I sigh, I'll know in a few hours. When they project the dead's images into the sky for the rest of us to see, the way I found out my brother was dead.

I slump down next to my pack, exhausted. I need to go through it anyway before night falls to see what I have to work with. As I unhook the straps, I can feel it's sturdily made although a rather unfortunate color. This orange will practically glow in the dark. I make a mental note to camouflage it first thing tomorrow.

I flip open the flap. What I want most, right at this moment, is water, for a few days, I'll be able to function with unpleasant symptoms of dehydration, but after that I'll deteriorate into helplessness and be dead in a week, tops. I carefully lay out the provisions. One thin black sleeping bag that reflects body heat. A pack of crackers. A pack of dried beef strips. A bottle of iodine. A box of wooden matches. A small coil of wire.

A pair of sunglasses. And a half-gallon plastic bottle with a cap for carrying water that's bone dry.

No water. How hard would it have been for them to fill up the bottle? I become aware of the dryness in my throat and mouth, the cracks in my lips. I've been moving all day long. It's been hot and I've sweat a lot.

As I refill my pack I have an awful thought. The lake.

The one I saw while I was waiting for the gong to sound. What if that's the only water source in the arena? That way they'll guarantee drawing us in to fight. The lake is a full day's journey from where I sit now, a much harder journey with nothing to drink.

And then, even if I reach it, it's sure to be heavily guarded by some of the Career Tributes. I won't be any match for them, I'll have a better chance living out here. Wait, the rabbit I startled earlier today, it has to drink, too. I just have to find out where.

Twilight is closing in and I am ill at ease. The trees are too thin to offer much concealment. The layer of pine needles that muffles my footsteps also makes tracking animals harder when I need their trails to find water. And I'm heading downhill, deeper and deeper into a valley that seems endless.

I'm hungry, too, but I don't dare break into my precious store of crackers and beef yet. Instead, I take my knife and go to work on a pine tree, cutting away the outer bark and scraping off a large handful of the softer inner bark. I slowly chew the stuff as I walk along. After a week of the finest food in the world, it's a little hard to choke down. But I've eaten plenty of pine in my life. I'll adjust quickly.

In another hour, it's clear I've got to find a place to camp. Night creatures are coming out. I can hear the occasional hoot or howl, my first clue that I'll be competing with natural predators for the rabbits. As to whether I'll be viewed as a source of food, it's too soon to tell. There could be any number of animals stalking me at this moment.

But right now, I decide to make my fellow tributes a priority. I'm sure many will continue hunting through the night. Those who fought it out at the Cornucopia will have food, an abundance of water from the lake, torches or flashlights, and weapons they're itching to use. I can only hope I've traveled far and fast enough to be out of range.

Before settling down, I take my wire and set two twitch-up snares in the brush. I know it's risky to be setting traps, but food will go so fast out here. And I can't set snares on the run. Still, I walk another five minutes before making camp.

I pick my tree carefully. A willow, not terribly tall but set in a clump of other willows, offering concealment in those long, flowing tresses. I climb up, sticking to the stronger branches close to the trunk, and find a sturdy fork for my bed. t takes some doing, but I arrange the sleeping bag in a relatively comfortable manner. I place my backpack in the foot of the bag, then slide in after it. As a precaution, I remove my belt, loop it all the way around the branch and my sleeping bag, and refasten it at my waist. Something I've been doing for years, just in case I roll over in my sleep. I have woken up before upside down, screaming from a nightmare of Callie or Tim drying.

I'm small enough to tuck the top of the bag over my head, but I put on my hood as well. As night falls, the air is cooling quickly. Despite the risk I took in getting the backpack, I know now it was the right choice.

This sleeping bag, radiating back and preserving my body heat, will be invaluable. I'm sure there are several other tributes whose biggest concern right now is how to stay warm whereas I may actually be able to get a few hours of sleep. If only I wasn't so thirsty...

Night has just come when I hear the anthem that proceeds the death recap. Through the branches I can see the seal of the Capitol, which appears to be floating in the sky.

I'm actually viewing another screen, an enormous one that's transported by of one of their disappearing hovercraft. The anthem fades out and the sky goes dark for a moment.

At home, we would be watching full coverage of each and every killing, witch is why it was such a surprise when they didn't show my brothers killing. They don't let the living tributes see how people got killed thought, it's considered unfair, because that Capital cares so much about being fair. For instance, if I got my hands on the bow and shot someone, my secret would be revealed to all. No, here in the arena, all we see are the same photographs they showed when they televised our training scores. Simple head shots. But now instead of scores they post only district numbers.

I take a deep breath as the face of the eleven dead tributes begin and tick them off one by one on my fingers.

The first to appear is the girl from District 3. That means that the Career Tributes from 1 and 2 have all survived. No surprise there. Then the boy from 4... I guess the Leah Murphy made it, she would have been in one of the higher ones if she was dead, but she isn't.

The boy from District 5 Both tributes from 6 and 7. The boy from 8. Both from 9. Yes, there's the boy who I fought for the backpack. I've run through my fingers, only one more dead tribute to go. Is it Callie?

No, there's the girl from District 10. That's it. The Capitol seal is back with a final musical flourish. Then darkness and the sounds of the forest resume.

I'm relieved Callie's alive. She can still win this thing, I want her to win this thing, even if she did try to stab me in the back. I need to talk to her, I need to see her. No. She'll kill me if she does.

Eleven dead, but none from District 12. I try to work out who is left, all four Career Tributes, including Cato and Murphy. Sofia.. so she made it through the first day after all. I can't help feeling glad. That makes seven of us. The other seven I'll figure out tomorrow.

It is dark, and I have traveled far, and I am nestled high in a tree, now I must try and rest.


	15. Chapter 15

Snap! The sound of a breaking branch wakes me.

How long have I been asleep? Four hours? Five? The tip of my nose is icy cold. Snap! Snap! What's going on? This is not the sound of a branch under someone's foot, but the sharp crack of one coming from a tree. Snap! Snap! I judge it to be several hundred yards to my right. Slowly, noiselessly, I turn myself in that direction. For a few minutes, there's nothing but blackness and some scuffling. Then I see a spark and a small fire begins to bloom. A pair of hands warms over flames, but I can't make out more than that.

I have to bite my lip not to scream every foul name I know at the fire starter. What are they thinking? A fire I'll just at nightfall would have been one thing.

Those who battled at the Cornucopia, with their superior strength and surplus of supplies, they couldn't possibly have been near enough to spot the flames then. But now, when they've probably been combing the woods for hours looking for victims. You might as well be waving a flag and shouting, "Come and get me!"

And here I am a stone's throw from the biggest idiot in the Games. Strapped in a tree. Not daring to flee since my general location has just been broadcast to any killer who cares. I mean, I know it's cold out here and not everybody has a sleeping bag. But then you grit your teeth and stick it out until dawn!

I lay smoldering in my bag for the next couple of hours really thinking that if I can get out of this tree, I won't have the least problem taking out my new neighbor. My instinct has been to flee, not fight. But obviously this person's a hazard. Stupid people are dangerous. And this one probably doesn't have much in the way of weapons while I've got this excellent knife.

The sky is still dark, but I can feel the first signs of dawn approaching. I'm beginning to think we, meaning the person whose death I'm now devising and me, we might actually have gone unnoticed.

Then I hear it. Several pairs of feet breaking into a run. The fire starter must have dozed off. They're on her before she can escape. I know it's a girl now, I can tell by the pleading, the agonized scream that follows.

Then there's laughter and congratulations from several voices.

Someone cries out, "Twelve down and eleven to go!" which gets a round of appreciative hoots.

So they're fighting in a pack. I'm not really surprised.

Often alliances are formed in the early stages of the Games. The strong band together to hunt down the weak then, when the tension becomes too great, begin to turn on one another. I don't have to wonder too hard who has made this alliance. It'll be the remaining Career Tributes.

Two boys and two girls. The ones who should be lunched together.

For a moment, I hear them checking the girl for supplies. I can tell by their comments they've found nothing good. I wonder if the victim is Rue but quickly dismiss the thought. She's much too bright to be building a fire like that.

"Better clear out so they can get the body before it starts stinking." I'm almost certain that's Leah Murphy.

There are murmurs of assent and then, to my horror, I hear the pack heading toward me. They do not know I'm here. How could they? And I'm well concealed in the clump of trees. At least while the sun stays down. Then my black sleeping bag will turn from camouflage to trouble. If they just keep moving, they will pass me and be gone in a minute.

But the Careers stop in the clearing about ten yards from my tree. They have flashlights, torches. I can see an arm here, a boot there, through the breaks in the branches. I turn to stone, not even daring to breathe. I count them, there are five, meaning the careers picked up a strong person from one of the other districts.

Have they spotted me? No, not yet. I can tell from their words their minds are elsewhere.

"Shouldn't we have heard a cannon by now" A voice I know as the slut, sorry, Leah asks.

"I'd say yes. Nothing to prevent them from going in immediately" Another female says.

"Unless she isn't dead" A male says.

"She's dead. I stuck her myself" A voice that has to belong to Cato says.

"Then where's the cannon" Leah asks, her voice becoming even higher.

"Someone should go back. Make sure the job's done" The female says.

"Yeah, we don't want to have to track her down twice" The male says.

"I said she's dead" Cato yells.

An argument breaks out until one tribute silences the others.

"We're wasting time! I'll go finish her and let's move on!"

I almost fall out of the tree, I know the voice as well as I know my own, Callie.

Thank goodness, I had the foresight to belt myself in.

I've rolled sideways off the fork and I'm facing the ground, held in place by the belt, one hand, and my feet straddling the pack inside my sleeping bag, braced against the trunk. There must have been some rustling when I tipped sideways, but the Careers have been too caught up in their own argument to catch it.

"Go on, then, Fag" says Cato "See for yourself."

I make a mental reminder to punch him, the homophobic dipshit.

"I'm not gay" She yells.

"You said it to the whole world that you were" He yells back.

"Ever heard of acting" She scoffs, walking away.

I just get a glimpse of Callie, lit by a torch, heading back to the girl by the fire. There's a bloody bandage on one arm, and from the sound of her gait she's limping somewhat. I remember her killing that boy, throwing the knife at me. She tried to kill me.

Okay, I can understand that, but teaming up with the careers? Saying it was all an act? She has to be lying.

The Career tributes are silent until he gets out of ear shot, then use hushed voices.

"Why don't we just kill her now and get it over with" Leah asks.

"Let her tag along. What's the harm? And she's handy with those knifes" Cato says.

They don't like her? Interesting.

"Besides, she's our best chance of finding her" He adds, talking about me.

"Why? You think she bought into that sappy romance stuff" The other girl asks.

"She might have. Seemed pretty simpleminded to me. Every time I think about her spinning around in that dress, I want to puke" Leah asks, making a gagging sound.

I want to make her make that sound, using my hands, squeezing her neck.

"Wish we knew how she got that eleven" The guys says

"Bet you the Fag knows" Cato says, disgust in his voice.

The sound of Callie returning silences them.

"Was she dead?" asks the boy, he must be from district two.

"No. But she is now," says Callie says.

Just then, the cannon fires.

"Ready to move on" She asks.

The Careers set off at a run, but Callie lingers. She looks up, her eyes meet mine, making me freeze, I've been caught.

"I'm a good actor" She whispers, then sets off running, but in a different direction than the careers did.

Her back disappears just as dawn begins to break, and birdsong fills the air.

I remain in my awkward position, muscles trembling with exertion for a while longer, then hoist myself back onto my branch. I need to get down, to get going, but for a moment I lie there, digesting what has just happened. Did she know I was here the whole time? Did she just run away to save her own ass? Is she still pretending to love me for the audience? What is going on in her head?

"Move," I whisper to myself.

I wriggle out of my sleeping bag, roll it up, and place it in the pack. I take a deep breath, I need to move quickly, they will come back to look for Callie.

While I've been concealed by darkness and the sleeping bag and the willow branches, it has probably been difficult for the cameras to get a good shot of me. I know they must be tracking me now though. The minute I hit the ground, I'm guaranteed a close-up.

The audience will have been beside themselves, knowing I was in the tree, that I overheard the careers talking, that I discovered Callie was with them, that Callie knew I was up there the whole time. Until I work out exactly how I want to play that, I'd better at least act on top of things. Not perplexed.

Certainly not confused or frightened.

No, I need to look one step ahead of the game.

I slide out of the foliage and into the dawn light, I pause a second, giving the cameras time to lock on me. I look down at my pendent, gold fire. I move so my nails show too, letting the flames catch the light.

"District twelve is on fire" I whisper, then chuckle before drop to the ground.

The snares! I need to see if I caught anything! I quickly go to them, only finding one. I don't have time to clean it, so I throw it in the back and start running, away from both the careers and Callie. It's going to be a game of hide and sneak, the three top people running from each other, well two people and the group.


	16. Chapter 16

I find another fire, well coals from a fire. I see blood, but no body, and I never heard another canon go off, oh well, I guess here is good of a place as any. In no time, I've cleaned and gutted the animal, leaving the head, feet, tail, skin, and innards, under a pile of leaves. Sure enough, the coals of the dying fire are still hot. I cut up the rabbit, fashion a spit out of branches, and set it over the coals.

I'm glad for the cameras now. I want sponsors to see I can hunt, that I'm a good bet because I won't be lured into traps as easily as the others will by hunger.

While the rabbit cooks, I grind up part of a charred branch and set about camouflaging my orange pack.

The black tones it down, but I feel a layer of mud would definitely help. Of course, to have mud, I'd need water.

I pull on my gear, grab my spit, kick some dirt over the coals, and take off in the opposite direction the Careers went. I eat half the rabbit as I go, then wrap up the leftovers in my plastic for later. The meat stops the grumbling in my stomach but does little to quench my thirst. Water is my top priority now.

As I hike along, I feel certain I'm still holding the screen in the Capitol, so I'm careful to continue to hide my emotions. But what a good time people at home must be having, dissecting Callie's behavior, my reaction. What to make of it all? Has Callie revealed her true colors? Which emotion was true? Who was she acting with, me or them.

Will we lose sponsors? Do we even have sponsors?

Yes, I feel certain we do, or at least did.

Certainly Callie has thrown a wrench into our star-crossed lover dynamic. Or has she? Maybe, since she hasn't spoken much about me, we can still get some mileage out of it. Maybe people will think it's something we plotted together if I seem like it amuses me now.

I pull down my jacket and run my fingers over where she sucked my neck. I smile to myself when I feel it puff out.

"Calliope" I whisper, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

I don't know how she feels, but I love her, regardless.

The sun rises in the sky and even through the canopy it seems overly bright. I coat my lips in some grease from the rabbit and try to keep from panting, but it's no use. It's only been a day and I'm dehydrating fast.

I try and think of everything I know about finding water. It runs downhill, so, in fact, continuing down into this valley isn't a bad thing. If I could just locate a game trail or spot a particularly green patch of vegetation, these might help me along, but nothing seems to change. There's just the slight gradual slope, the birds, the sameness to the trees.

As the day wears on, I know I'm headed for trouble.

What little urine I've been able to pass is a dark brown, my head is aching, and there's a dry patch on my tongue that refuses to moisten. The sun hurts my eyes so I dig out my sunglasses, but when I put them on they do something funny to my vision, so I just stuff them back in my pack.

It's late afternoon when I think I've found help. I spot a cluster of berry bushes and hurry to strip the fruit, to suck the sweet juices from the skins. But just as I'm holding them to my lips, I get a hard look at them.

What I thought were blueberries have a slightly different shape, and when I break one open the insides are blood red. I don't recognize these berries, perhaps they are edible, but I'm guessing this is some evil trick on the part of the Gamemakers.

Even the plant instructor in the Training Center made a point of telling us to avoid berries unless you were 100 percent sure they weren't toxic. Something I already knew, but I'm so thirsty it takes her reminder to give me the strength to fling them away.

Fatigue is beginning to settle on me, but it's not the usual tiredness that follows a long hike. I have to stop and rest frequently, although I know the only cure for what ails me requires continued searching. I try a new tactic, climbing a tree as high as I dare in my shaky state, to look for any signs of water. But as far as I can see in any direction, there's the same unrelenting stretch of forest.

Determined to go on until nightfall, I walk until I'm stumbling over my own feet.

Exhausted, I haul myself up into a tree and belt myself in. I've no appetite, but I suck on a rabbit bone just to give my mouth something to do. Night falls, the anthem plays, and high in the sky I see the picture of the girl, who was apparently from District 8. The one Callie went back to finish off.

My fear of the Careers is minor compared to my burning thirst, besides, they were heading away from me and by now they, too, will have to rest. With the scarcity of water, they may even have had to return to the lake for refills.

Maybe, that is the only course for me as well.

Morning brings distress. My heads throbs with every beat of my heart. Simple movements send stabs of pain through my joints. I fall, rather than jump from the tree. It takes several minutes for me to assemble my gear. Somewhere inside me, I know this is wrong.

I should be acting with more caution, moving with more urgency. But my mind seems foggy and forming a plan is hard. I lean back against the trunk of my tree, one finger gingerly stroking the bruise on my neck, as I assess my options. How can I get water?

Return to the lake. No good. I'd never make it.

Hope for rain. There's not a cloud in the sky.

Keep looking. Yes, this is my only chance but then, another thought hits me, and the surge of anger that follows brings me to me senses.

Mark! He could send me water! Press a button and have it delivered to me in a silver parachute in minutes. I know I must have sponsors, at least one or two who could afford a pint of liquid for me. Yes, it's pricey, but these people, they're made of money. And they'll be betting on me as well. Perhaps he doesn't realize how deep my need is.

I say in a voice as loud as I dare. "Water." I wait, hopefully, for a parachute to descend from the sky.

But nothing is forthcoming.

I groan, he's a dick. All he wants is to get in someone's pants. There has to be someone who is offering to buy me water, he just won't let it go through, wait. Why wouldn't he let it go through.

He would, if I needed it to. I'm close. I must be close or he would let it come down.

I grit my teeth and pull myself to my feet. My backpack seems to have tripled in weight. I find a broken branch that will do for a walking stick and I start off. The sun's beating down, even more searing than the first two days. I feel like an old piece of leather, drying and cracking in the heat. every step is an effort, but I refuse to stop. I refuse to sit down. If I sit, there's a good chance I won't be able to get up again, that I won't even remember my task.

What easy prey I am! Any tribute, even little Sofia, could take me right now, merely shove me over and kill me with my own knife, and I'd have little strength to resist. But if anyone is in my part of the woods, they ignore me. The truth is, I feel a million miles from another living soul.

Not alone though. No, they've surely got a camera tracking me now. I think back to watching my brother, seeing Callie stave before she got blown up. Unless there's a really good fight going on somewhere, I'm being featured.

By afternoon, I know the end is coming. My legs are shaking and my heart too quick. I keep forgetting, exactly what I'm doing. I've stumbled repeatedly and managed to regain my feet, but when the stick slides out from under me, I finally tumble to the ground unable to get up. I let my eyes close.

I have misjudged Mark. He has no intention of helping me at all.

This is all right, I is not so bad here. The air is less hot, signifying evening's approach. There's a slight, sweet scent that reminds me of lilies. My fingers stroke the smooth ground, sliding easily across the top. This is an okay place to die, I think.

My fingertips make small swirling patterns in the cool, slippery earth. I love mud, I think. How many times I've tracked game with the help of its soft, readable surface. Good for bee stings, too. Mud. Mud.

Mud! My eyes fly open and I dig my fingers into the earth. It is mud! My nose lifts in the air. And those are lilies! Pond lilies!

I crawl now, through the mud, dragging myself toward the scent. Five yards from where I fell, I crawl through a tangle of plants into a pond. Floating on the top, yellow flowers in bloom, are my beautiful lilies.

It's all I can do not to plunge my face into the water and gulp down as much as I can hold. But I have just enough sense left to abstain. With trembling hands, I get out my flask and fill it with water. I add what I remember to be the right number of drops of iodine for purifying it.

The half an hour of waiting is agony, but I do it. At least, I think it's a half an hour, but it's certainly as long as I can stand.

Slowly, easy now, I tell myself. I take one swallow and make myself wait. Then another. Over the next couple of hours, I drink the entire half gallon. Then a second.

Feet startle me, and by the time I hear them it's too late.

"Why hello there" His faces says, a fake smile blooming over his face.

"Hello Cato" I say, biting my lip, I'm done for.

"Nice hickey, Did Callie give you that" He asks, his cold blue eyes fixed on my neck.

"Of course she did" I say, slowly standing up.

"Too bad you'll never get to see her again" He says, stabbing me.


	17. Chapter 17

I take a sip of my water, I'm glad I was about to get back to camp before those idiots did. I hope Arizona is alright. I sigh and use my belt to buckle into the tree, thanks for showing me that Arizona, I really think it might save my life, I do move a lot in my sleep. I know the camera will be on me, well me or Arizona.

I take a deep breath and move my hair out of the way. It had been in a bun the first day, but I took it out to wash my hair and I never had the chance to put it back up.

I run my fingers out the tiny bruise I still have, it's becoming just bite marks, well it feels like bite marks.

I unwrap my banged arm, It has stopped bleeding. Marvel, the boy from district one, he gave it to me. I was almost certain I was a dead man, but Cato offered me an alliance, he saw me throw a knife at Arizona, which is what I had hoped for.

The only problem is that they hate me, as soon as they think I can't hear they talk about me. If I had normal hearing, I wouldn't be able to hear them, but during the Games, four years ago, I was in an explosion. It took most of my hearing, but the Capital doctors had to fix that right up, can't have a half deaf victor. I have super hearing, but what does that help out here?

I let a few tears fall out, then I look straight into the camera, I am very good at spotting them, even when I was here the first time the cameras stuck out like sore thumbs. I move closer to it, making sure my face will be the only thing showing, confusion.

Then I look down, and pull back away.

"Just a camera" I whisper, sighing.

A scream interrupts my thoughts, a scream that I know.

"Arizona" I whisper, confused, they found her?

I unbuckle myself, ready to leap to the ground when a cannon goes off, halting my movements.

That's it? She's gone? Just like that?

I look up to the sky, biting my bottom lip and letting a few tears escape. I let a soft sob escape, but I can't cry like I want to, not here, not now. Though teary eyes I touch my pinkie and thumb, bring them to my lips and lift it to the sky.

"I love you" I whisper, then buckle myself back in.

I let the darkness take me under its wing, secretly hoping to never wake up

A few hours later, the stampede of feet shakes me from slumber. I look around in bewilderment. It's not yet dawn, but my stinging eyes can see it.

It would be hard to miss the wall of fire descending on me.

I try to jump down, but I am belted in, so I don't move. Good thing I make my belt tight, otherwise I'd be upside down like Arizona was when I saw her. Somehow my fumbling fingers release the buckle and I fall to the ground in a heap, my large bag of supplies following me.

I groan when it hits my bad leg, but I grit my teeth, hoist it up and take off running away from the fire. District twelve is on fire, some kind of sick joke this must be to everyone watching.

I look around, trying to find a way to get but the world has been transformed to flame and smoke.

Burning branches crack from trees and fall in showers of sparks at my feet. I quickly decide to follow the others, the rabbits and deer, I even spot a wild dog pack shooting through the woods. I trust their sense of direction because their instincts are sharper than mine. But they are much faster, flying through the underbrush so gracefully as my boots catch on roots and fallen tree limbs, that there's no way I can keep up with them.

The heat is horrible, but worse than the heat is the smoke, which threatens to suffocate me at any moment. I pull the top of my shirt up over my nose, grateful to find it soaked in sweat, and it offers a thin veil of protection. And I run, choking, my bag seems to weigh a thousand pounds, my face is cut by branches that materialize from the gray haze without warning. I keep running, trying to get out.

I know that the Gamemakers made it, to try and push the remaining tributes together, to have more deaths. It's been too quiet since day one. I let a laugh escape, maybe I'm crazy, because I know this is nothing to laugh about, but they set the arena on fire. The could just make the steam do dry, forcing us all to go to the lake, or something small like that, but they set us on fire.

"On fire" I mumble, laughing hysterically, which I need to stop, I'm using up too much oxygen.

I attempt to jump over a log, but I'm laughing too much, I fall on my face. The tail end of my jacket catches on fire, causing me to stop to rip it from my body and stamp out the flames. I don't dare leave the jacket, scorched and smoldering as it is, I take the risk and stuff it in a pocket of my bag. This is all I have, what I carry on my back, and it's little enough to survive with.

In a matter of minutes, my laughing stops, my throat and nose are burning too much. The coughing begins soon after and my lungs begin to feel as if they are actually being cooked. Discomfort turns to distress until each breath sends a searing pain through my chest. I see a large rock and quickly bend over, losing my supper and water, and gagging a few times to make sure I've lost everything.

I know I need to keep moving, but I'm trembling and light-headed now, gasping for air. I get out my water bottle and take a sip, as much as I will allow myself, I rinse out my mouth and spit the water back out.

I can sit here for a minute. Just one.

I don't want to kill anybody else. Leah, Marvel, Cato, Glimmer, Sofia. Oh god Sofia. Is she still alive?

She has to be, there was only one canon today, and it... A tear escapes my eye, but I quickly wipe it away.

It's been over a minute, but I can't force myself to get up. I could stay here and let the fire eat me.

I shake my head, I have to make it home, for Aria. For Arizona. I have to make it home.

A fireball blasts into the rock about two feet from my head. I spring out from under my ledge, energized by new fear.

The game has taken a twist. The fire was just to get me moving, it's not the real threat. When I hear the next hiss, I flatten on the ground, not taking time to look. The fireball hits a tree off to my left, engulfing it in flames. To remain still is death, and I can't die, not now. I'm barely on my feet when the third ball hits the ground where I was less than two seconds ago, sending a pillar of fire up behind me. Time loses meaning now as I frantically try to dodge the attacks.

I zigzag and dive and leap to avoid the fireballs. Each one is only the size of an apple, but packs tremendous power on contact. Every sense I have goes into overdrive as the want to survive takes over.

There's no time to judge if a move is the correct one.

When there's a hiss, I act or die.

I keep moving forward, they have to stop sometime, or at least I hope they will.

The fireballs slow down, which is good because I'm gagging again. I stop, my hands on my knees I try to rid myself of whatever I might have. Nothing is there though, so I take a few deep breaths. I wait for the next hiss, the next signal to bolt. It doesn't come.

I notice that I'm crying, tears are rolling down my face, which is odd. I bite my bottom lip and wipe away my tear the best I can.

My clothes are drenched in sweat. Somehow, through the smoke and vomit, I pick up the scent of singed hair.

I take a piece in my hands, a good four inches are gone. I take a deep breath, the blacked hairs are new, I wasn't expecting it to get my hair. I guess I should have put it back up.

The hissing registers and my muscles react, only not fast enough this time.


	18. Chapter 18

I bite my lip, I really need to stop biting it, but oh well, I have bigger things to think of. I slowly bring my eyes to my burned leg, I almost faint at the sight of it. The flesh is a brilliant red covered with blisters. I force myself to take deep, slow breaths, biting my lip hard, feeling quite certain the cameras are on my face. I can't show weakness at this injury. Not if I want help. Pity does not get you aid.

I cut the remains of the pant leg off at the knee and examine the injury more closely. The burned area is about the size of my hand. None of the skin is blackened. I think it's not too bad to soak. Gingerly I stretch out my leg into the pool, propping the heel of my boot on a rock so the leather doesn't get too sodden, and sigh, because this does offer some relief. Water and time is all I have to work with.

Should I be moving on? The smoke is slowly clearing but still too heavy to be healthy. If I do continue away from the fire, won't I be walking straight into the weapons of the careers? Besides, every time I lift my leg from the water, the pain rebounds so intensely I have to slide it back in. My hands are slightly less demanding. They can handle small breaks from the pool.

I use these breaks to drink my water, and put more in, treating it carefully. I don't want to die from any stupid little parasite in the water. Well, my exposed skin in this water could kill me, but still, take as many precautions as I can afford.

I take out a cracker and nibble on it, it helps with my stomach, which was starting to get upset, I did throw everything up.

I pull on what's left of my jacket, barn marks in several places let in cold air, but it's better than nothing. I look up at the sky again, why hasn't the seal played yet? They must be waiting on something.

Waiting on something.


	19. Chapter 19

Waiting on something.

I quickly and quickly put the bag around my shoulders. It's lucky I figured it out and am ready to move on because when I hear the feet, I have less than a minute head start. Fear overcomes my whole body, I'm up and running, splashing across the pool, flying into the underbrush. My leg slows me down, but I sense my pursuers are not as speedy as they were before the fire, either. I hear their coughs, their raspy voices calling to one another.

Still, they are closing in, just like a pack of wild dogs, I don't have many choices, they are going to catch up with me. I think of Arizona, she told me once that the best thing to do if a bear came was to play dead or climb a tree. Now playing dead wouldn't work right here, climbing will. I find the tallest tree I can and start climbing.

If running hurt, climbing is agonizing because it requires not only exertion but direct contact of my hands on the tree bark. I'm fast, though, and by the time they've reached the base of my trunk, I'm twenty feet up. For a moment, we stop and survey one another. I hope they can't hear the pounding of my heart.

This could be it, I think. What chance do I have against them? Four of them, they have many more weapons than I do. All I grabbed were my knifes, and I don't have time to fish them out. I'm trapped, stuck in a tree, and they are going to come and get me.

Wait, maybe not. I remember from the boards in the arena that I weigh less than Cato, Marvel, and Glimmer. That leaves Leah, but from what I've picked up I can take her if it comes down to one on one. I weigh less so that means I can climb higher. I let a huge smile show to them.

"How's everything with you" I call down cheerfully.

They look up at me with stunned faces, completely taken aback. If I was watching at home I would have laughed at their faces, but I just smirk.

"Well enough," says Cato, "Yourself?"

"It's been a bit warm for my taste" I sigh, wiping some sweat off my brow,"The air's better up here. Why don't you come on up?"

"Think I will" He says, anger flashing in this eyes.

His eyes. They are blue. He has blonde hair. Blue eyes, Blonde hair. He looks like Tim. Oh, that's nice to think about.

He spits, because that's soo cool, his sword in one hand. It's short, good for close combat. I flinch when I remember him killing the little boy from district four.

I give Cato time to hoist himself into the tree before I begin to climb again. I'm another thirty feet in the air when I hear the crack and look down to see Cato flailing as he and a branch go down. He hits the ground hard and I hope he broke his neck, but my hopes are crushed when he stands back up, letting out foul words that I only hear from Mark when he's mad.

Glimmer is the next to try to get to me, she's faster, but she isn't careful, and soon it is her falling a good twenty feet.

"Just let her stay up there, not like she can go anywhere. We'll deal with her in the morning" Leah snarls, glaring at me.

"Yeah, she has to come down or she'll starve up there" Marvel quickly agrees.

They all nod and lay down at the base of the tree. They don't know that I have knives I can throw down at them, well if they ever get away from the base of the tree. They don't know that I have food.

The seal of the Capitol shines above me, it's going to show the faces of the dead. I bite my lip, Arizona is going to be up there.

The girl from district four is in the sky. She looks a bit like me, brown eyes and tan skin. I shake my head, doesn't matter who she looks like.

The seal is then shown again, telling me that it's the end of the deaths.

What? They didn't kill Arizona? What?

"What happened to Fireplug" Leah asks, her voice annoying as ever.

Fireplug? They call her Fireplug? They are such idiots.

"I keep telling you, forget about her. I know where I cut her. It's a miracle she hasn't bled to death yet. At any rate, she's in no shape to raid us" says Cato, laughing.

"She's alive" I ask loud enough for them to hear it.

"She'll be dead in a few days at most. You'll be dead before her Fag" Marvel snaps.

"She gets Fireplug and I get Fag? You guys are so cool" I scoff.

"Shut up" Leah orders.

"Fuck you" I snap.

"In your dreams" She says.

It takes everything I have not to get out a knife at throw it in the direction her voice just came from. I need to act this out though. I can't see my bag anyways, so I wrap my belt around the tree and drift off into a peaceful sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

I wake up to a pain in my leg, unlike any pain I've ever experienced.

I scream in pain, and jumps from below tell me I have awaken the careers below me.

"What the fuck are you screaming for" Glimmer yells up at me.

I can't stop my screaming, my leg feels like it's on fire, but at the same time I can't feel it.

"Give me the fucking arrows" Leah orders, I hear the clang of weapons.

"Shh" I hear in my ear, causing me to jump, I would have fallen out of the tree, but my belt saves me.

"Calm down" She whispers, her deep brown eyes are full of caring, "Bite this" She gives me a branch.

I take it and bite down hard, but it just muffles the sound.

An arrow flies by my head, missing by a lot, but it lodges in the trunk near me.

I whimper when I feel her hands touch my leg, but there is relief. It stings but it takes out a lot of the pain.

I spit out the stick and another arrow hits the tree, this one farther away. I hear cussing below me, but I'm focused on the small Latina rubbing my leg.

"What is that" I whisper.

"It came in the parachute for you" She tilts her head to a tiny container with flames on it.

"Let me take that" Glimmer says, and I hear them fight over the bow.

"Give me my knife, in my bag" I ask the small girl.

"Are you going to hurt me" She asks, her brown eyes wide in surprise.

"No, just give it here" I whisper, holding out my hand.

I see doubt in her eyes, but she opens my bag.

"You're Sofia, right" I ask, I remember her, she liked Arizona.

"Yeah, your Callie" She whispers, getting out a knife but not giving it to me.

"Want to team up" I ask as an arrow flies by, less than an inch away from my head.

"Really" She asks, her eyebrows raising.

"Really, give me the knife, please" I whisper, begging for my knife.

She slowly hands it to me.

I turn my body so I am facing the ground, I see my target, she is getting out another arrow. She holds the bow all wrong, but who am I to judge. I turn the knife around in my hand, pull back my arm and let it fly.

It hits her right in the neck, perfect aim. It gained so much momentum it it hilt deep and sticking out the other side.

She coughs, blood running out from around object embedded in her throat.

"Glimmer" I hear Marvel whisper, her catches her body as it falls backwards.

A cannon goes off, telling me that I have killed her.

"That's good aim" I hear her whisper from my side.

"Friends" I ask, turning back to Sofia.

"Yeah" She smiles, she's so young, she reminds me of Aria.

"Let's get out of here, we don't know how many knives she has" Leah says, her voice quiet, but my super hearing picks it out.

"Knife" I whisper, holding out my hand again.

I smile when a knife is placed almost instantly in my hand. I turn and see them, I throw the knife but as soon as it leaves my hand I know it's going to miss, as Leah has turned around, her pack now where her heart had been mere seconds ago.

"Fuck" She mutters, her back arching away from where it hit.

The knife must have still hit her, because she is running away in no time.

Marvel just stares at Glimmers body, I can't bring myself to kill him, but I need him to leave. I hold out my hand and a knife is placed in it.

I aim, I'm not going to hit him, he's graving. I hit the dirt right next to him, causing him to jump up.

He turns and looks me in the eye, then behind me, to Sofia.

"I will get you" He says, then turns, running away.


	21. Chapter 21

"I'm going to kill you slowly, watch as the light drains out of your eyes. I will make sure it's just you and me last you fucking fag" Cato's disembodied voice says, causing chills to go down my spine.

Then I see him run away, the same way they just ran. He must have been at the base of the tree, out of my view.

"Is your leg okay" A soft voice whispers.

"Uh yeah, let's get moving" I say, shooting her a smile and unbuckling myself.

"Are we going to get Arizona" She asks, grabbing my bag and all but jumping down the branches.

"Do you know where she is" I ask, wanting to see her filling me up.

"Yeah, I help her" She smiles.

"Help her with what? How bad is she" I ask, groaning when my feet hit the ground.

"Bad bugs, they stung her a bunch, and the fire" She nods, confirming with herself.

"She got stung? She was caught in the fire" I ask, Arizona would never get caught in a fire.

"She was just laying there, the fire was really close but she wasn't moving," She starts walking, and I follow, "I thought she was dead for a little bit, but there was no cannon, so I tried to wake her up. It didn't work very well, but when the fire got to her hair she woke up fully. Even with her bad leg she picked me up and ran. She was bad at running though. She ran right into the bugs. We have the bugs at home-"

"Tracker jackers" I ask, interrupting.

"Yeah, they stung her a bunch of times. She woke up once and was yelling for you, so I went to find you" She says, giving me a smile.

"Thank you. You saved my life" I smile back.

"You could have found the gift, if you stopped screaming" She giggles.

"Can I have my bag" I ask, she is starting to drag it.

"Yeah, be careful, it's heavy" She says, handing it to me carefully.

"Yeah it is" I say, throwing it around my arms.

"It feels like I've been out for more than a few hours" I groan, stretching out my arms.

"You were. They even left your tree" She says quickly.

"Really? Did they get anybody" I ask, a bit surprised that they would leave me.

"Girl from District 8 died, but they didn't get her, she was there when we went through the bugs, she didn't get away fast enough. They got the boys from three and ten" She say, looking down.

I sigh when I see a tear run down her face.

"Oh sweetheart" I say, picking her up, she's really small.

"I just don't like seeing people die" She whispers, her voice trembling.

"I know honey" I whisper, my mother instincts turning on, I press my lips to her forehead.

"I'm fine though. I'm strong" She says, tilting her head up.

Those brown eyes tell me everything. She's afraid and just trying to be strong. Are my eyes this readable?

"It's okay, your a little fighter" I smile, wiping her tears away.

"Yep. I'm a fighter" She smiles, wrapping her arms around me.

The noise of feet make us freeze. The feet are running, just a pair. The running isn't the way it should be though, it's almost like the person is falling.

"Tim! Callie" A disembodied voice yells.

"Oh no, she's awake again" Sofia says, jumping out of my arms and taking off running full speed.

"Noo" I hear Arizona scream.

"Arizona it's just me" I hear Sofia yell.

I run, trying to get to them.

"Aria" She asks, confusion in her voice.

I get to a clearing where they are. Arizona is standing up, blood is dried on the side of her face. Her braids are half gone, blacked at the tips of what's left. There is blood covering her entire left leg, a cut in the pants she's wearing lets me know it's when Cato stabbed her. Her eyes are glossed over, she's somewhere else, not seeing what is really here.

"No, it's Sofia" Sofia yells up to the blonde.

"Sofia, stop" I say.

"What? She knows who I am" Sofia protests.

"Duck" I scream, throwing a knife at where the spear just came from.

Marvel looks at me, his eyes wide with fear. The knife is in his stomach, it should be piecing his liver. He looks down in disbelief, he pulls it out. Bad move, it gushes blood, spraying a good foot as he falls forward.

A cannon goes off somewhere, his cannon.

"Oh my god" Arizona whispers, causing me to look back over.


	22. Chapter 22

The weird stuff goes away. I'm not at home. There is no fire. There is no Aria yelling at me.

There is Sofia. Shit I'm in the Games.

"Duck" Callie's voice screams, my body reacts before I can think.

I look over at her, she is looking at the boy who just threw something at us. I look to my side, expecting to see Sofia laying there too, but she is still standing up.

Her mouth is open in surprise, her hands wrap around the spear.

"Oh my god" I whisper.

She pulls it out, which is not what you should do. She falls backwards, but I catch her.

I've been in and out thanks to the shit in the tracker jackers, and she has been there every time. She has been helping me, nursing me back to health, well somewhat. My leg has just gotten worse but she can't help that.

I pull her back into my body, then gently set her down on the ground. Her tiny hand reaches out and grabs hold of mine. Her other hand reaches for something, I look behind me and see Callie crouching down next to her and taking her hand.

"I'm dying" She whispers, looking me in the eyes, looking for the truth.

"Yes baby girl, your dying" I whisper, choking back a sob as a few tears escape.

Her grip tightens on my hand.

"I'm not going anywhere" I whisper, leaning forward and pressing my lips to her forehead.

"Callie" She whispers, turning her head and looking at Callie.

"Yeah sweetheart" She asks, leaning forward.

"Can you" She gasps for air, "Sing?"

"Sing" I ask, furrowing my brows, she wants her to sing? Right now?

"We sing at home, all the time. I hear Callie sing when I was little, I want to" She takes a deep breath, "I want her to sing."

Callie coughs, clearing her throat.

"Everybody's selling something, Wanting more than what they have, and Haven't got the sight of sense" Callie starts singing, it's a song I know well.

She made it herself, it's called eye to eye. She sung it to me the night before she left won the games.

"To sense what's really going round And no one wants to tell the truth We'll fight to know the rules That tell us to be good enough" I see a few tears running down her face, I know the rest of the song, so I join in, matching pitch with Callie.

"And no one knows that you and I, baby we see eye to eye" Sofia is gasping, so we fade out of the song.

"Please win" She whispers, a tear running down her face.

Her chest stops moving, and she becomes relaxed. She's so beautiful.

A cannon fires.

Callie lets out a huge sob, she moves Sofia's body in her lap, stroking her hair back.

"Stay" I whisper, then turn away.

A few steps into the woods grows a bank of wildflowers. Perhaps they are really weeds of some sort, but they have blossoms in beautiful shades of violet and yellow and white. I gather up an armful and come back to Callie's side.

She bites her bottom lip, like she always does, and lays Sofia down, she knows what I'm doing.

Slowly, one stem at a time, we decorate her body in the flowers. Covering the ugly wound. Wreathing her face. Weaving her hair with bright colors.

Nobody has ever done this before. The Gamemakers won't like it, but it isn't for the Gamemakers. It's not for the people that are watching. It's for Sofia. She deserved it. She didn't need to be here.

I bite my bottom lip, letting a few tears fall, I'm not sure if it's from Sofia's death or the pain that's in my leg from standing up for so long.

"Let's go" Callie whispers, standing up and offering her hand to help me up.

"Safe, she's safe, right" I ask, tears in my eyes.

"She's safe now, she's going to go home" She soothes.

"Okay, let's go" I take her hand and let her pull me up.

It's only two steps when she realizes I'm not going to be able to walk by myself.

"Here" She whispers, wrapping an arm around my waist, forcing me to warp and arm around the back of her neck.

"There's a cave" I whisper, letting her take most of my weight as we start to move.

"That way" She asks, tilting her head.

"Yeah" I nod, biting my lip as the pain gets worse.

We walk about ten minutes before we get to it. It's just some rocks somehow forming to a cave. I plop down on the ground the second she lets go of my waist.

I lay down, but her eyes on me let me know I'm not going to get to go back to sleep.

"I need to treat it" She whispers, her voice strong but her face green.

"Callie it feels fine" I lie.

I can feel that I have a fever, and that it is infected, and that it's going to kill me. I yelp when she pokes it.

"Liar" She smirks.

"Fine, just don't puke all over me" I say with a light laugh.

"You're beautiful, you know" She whispers, turning it dead serous.

"Calliope" I whisper, and that's all she needs.

Her lips meet mine, crashing together with want and need. Her lips aren't dry and cracked like mine. They are still soft, softest thing ever. She pulls away and rests her forehead against mine. I can't open my eyes, can't find the strength to pull away, to ruin this moment.

"I love you" She whispers, gently kissing my forehead.

"You do" I ask, opening my eyes, it's too good to be true.

She smiles at me, "I do."

The feeling that overcomes me, she might have just said I do to spending the rest of her life with me... She did. We can't both win.

"Here, eat" She orders, getting some food out of her bag.

I bite my lip and shake my head. I have to die, so she can win.

"Arizona I swear to god if you don't eat I can put you through so much hell you'll wish you were dead" She says, her dark, almost black, eyes pierce my soul.

"Maybe I wish I was dead" I whisper, rolling over on my side.

If I get her to hate me she'll leave me. I look forward at a spot in the cave, oh wait, it's a camera. I feel her moving, but I just stare at the camera, wishing I was watching, not here.

"Block the camera Arizona" Her voice orders.

"Why would I do that" I ask, tilting my head to see her.

I see why now. I swallow the little spit I have in my throat.

"Block the camera" She says again, her voice getting lower.

I move back so my back will block the camera. I know that there are some outside the cave but I think this was the only one on the inside.

"You are going to eat, or you are not going to touch this" She motions to her nude, incredibly sexy body.

"I..." I'm at a lost for words.

"Please" She asks, letting out a sigh.

I nod and bite my lip.

"Thank you" She whispers, reaching into her bag and pulling out water bottle and some food.

She feeds me by hand, making me feel like a child, but I enjoy watching her move back and forth, god she is so beautiful.

"Let's take a look" She whispers after I'm done eating.

"Callie no" I whisper.

She tilts her head, then shrugs.

"Fine" I whisper.

"Please remove your pants" She says, sounding professional, not like she's naked with me in a cave.


	23. Chapter 23

"Seriously" She scoffs

"Yup" I nod, she needs to do it.

She reaches down and pulls them off her butt, but they get stuck.

"Here I got it" I whisper, taking them and gently guiding them off of her.

Nothing could have prepared me for how it looks. I want to hurl, but instead I bite my lips.

"How about a kiss" She asks, interrupting my thoughts.

I laugh, looking at this disgusts me, I'm not about to put my lips anywhere.

"We need to go to the stream" I whisper with a sigh.

"Okay, let's do it" She whispers, sitting up.

"Wait, I got to put on clothes, lay back down and block that camera" I order.

I doubt that they would show me naked on camera anyways, but you never know. It's best to know for sure my whole family isn't going to see me make love to this beautiful women. In the end it doesn't matter anyways, one of us is going to die, everybody of Panem knows I'm naked.

I put on my clothes, I wish I had another pair so I could replace Arizona's, but I don't, and I know she won't take mine.

"You good" She asks, looking up at me with piecing blue eyes.

"Yeah, let's go" I whisper, standing up and offering a hand.

She grabs my hand and pulls herself up. I grab the bag, I don't know if we'll make it back or if we'll find someone out there. We don't even make it out of the cave when I decide it'd be quicker for me to carry her, so I do. I sweep her off her feet, bridal style and carry her the three minutes it takes me.

I set her down so her leg is in the water. There is dirt and blackened skin and puss and I don't even know. It's gross.

I have three water bottles, I prop them against rocks in the stream so that two are always filling while I pour the third over Arizona's body, washing away some of the nastiness that has overtaken it.

I take some of the cream out and run it over the part of her leg that has burns. She sighs in relief but her skin is burning up. I thought she was warm when we kissed but I didn't think she was this hot. This isn't good.

I dig through the first-aid kit I got from the camp and find pills that reduce your temperature.

"Take these" I order, handing them to Arizona.

She throws her head back and swallows them without a drop of water, eww.

"We're going to have to experiment some," I admit, I have no idea what to do with her leg like this.

"Give me the kit" She whispers, holding out her hand.

I hand the small thing to her. She looks through it, then takes out some string and a nettle.

"Sow me up" She says, handing me the nettle.

"What" I ask, eyes wide with fear.

"Here, I'll start for you" She says, taking the nettle and stabbing herself in one side of the cut, whimpering in pain, then doing the same to the other.

"Oh my god" I whisper, gagging.

"Calliope, please" She begs, holding out the now bloody nettle.

I bite my lip and stitch it up the best I can, making her scream a few times when I run move water over it. I hold down my dinner somehow.

After I'm done I look up to the sky. It's almost dark. The days are getting weird, as the Gamemakers control it, not real life.

"Lets go back" I whisper, gently picking her up.

She loosely wraps her arms around me, she's growling weak.

We get back to the cave and a voice comes on, which is weird. I only make out bits and pieces, but there can be two winners this year, whatever two are left, regardless of gender or district. There is also a feast tomorrow morning, something that we all need will be at the Capricornia in a bag with our number on it. This is normal at this point in the games, it draws us all out to the same place and we get to fight.

I look at her, she's laying down and her eyes are closed, but she's not asleep.

"You're not going" She whispers.

I sigh, I will be going, but now isn't the time to fight about it.

I lay down next to her and pull her close. Her head lays on my chest. I run my fingers through her hair and watch them play people's pictures in the sky. Just Rue.

I lie awake thinking. Who's left? Cato, Leah, the boy that was with Sofia and some one else. A girl I think.

**Snap**

I jolt up, someone is here. They are above us.

"Calliope" Arizona asks, voice laced with worry, as I did just push her off of me.

"Shh" I whisper, waiting.

Nothing happens. Nobody pops up trying to kill us.

"Its okay baby" She whispers, stroking the side of my face.

"I heard something" I defend.

"It was just an animal baby, it's fine" She whispers, gently pushing me down and laying her head in the crook of my neck instead of my chest.

I can feel the heat coming from her, it is so hot, it's burning my skin, but I push through it.

I kiss her forehead softly when her breathing becomes softer.

I gently push her off of me. I put a bottle of water next to her and the bow and arrows. I slide out of the cave and a silver parachute flies down. A gift from Mark. I open it and it's a pin, a gold fire pin, just like the one Arizona has on and some matches. I can't help but to smile.

"District twelve will not be over looked this year. We are on fire" I say, putting the pin on and quietly walking towards where the Capricornia is, hoping that everybody else is waiting until later to come.


	24. Chapter 24

Spirits must be running high in District 12. We so rarely have anyone to root for at this point in the Games. Surely, people are excited about Callie and I, especially now that we're together.

I grab my knifes, running my fingers over them. I left the bag in the cave, just in case I don't make it back, she'll still have a chance.

A tear escapes, she could die. I could die. I bet some people have made teams.

Leah and Cato of course. The guy from Sofia's district, oh god what's his name. Oh well, doesn't matter, he doesn't affect me any. None of them do.

I sigh, it's so dark and weird out here. I slip on my night vision glasses. These things saved my life last time I was in here, I have a pair at home for good luck. It's as if the daytime trees and flowers and stones had gone to bed and sent slightly more ominous versions of themselves to take their places. I don't try anything tricky, like taking a new route. I make my way back up the stream. Along the way, I see no sign of another tribute, not a puff of breath, not a quiver of a branch. Either I'm the first to arrive or the others positioned themselves earlier. There's still more than an hour, maybe two, before the packages will show up.

I crouch in a bush, waiting, unmoving. I am a hunter, waiting for my prey to show themselves.

The sky turns a misty morning gray and still there's no sign of the other tributes, it's not that surprising. Do they think, that I have Arizona with me? I doubt anyone but Cato and Leah even know she was wounded. All the better if they think she's covering me when I go in for the backpack.

But where is it? The arena has lightened enough for me to remove my glasses. I can hear the morning birds singing. Isn't it time? Am I at the wrong place? No way, I'm certain I remember he said the Cornucopia. And there it is. And here I am. So where's my prize?

Just as the first ray of sun glints off the gold Cornucopia, there's a disturbance on the plain. The ground before the mouth of the horn splits in two and a round table with a snowy white cloth rises into the arena. On the table sit four backpacks, two large black ones with the numbers 2 and 11, a medium-size green one with the number 5, and a tiny orange one, really just a purse, that must have to number 12 on it.

The table has just clicked into place when a figure darts out of the Cornucopia, snags the green backpack, and speeds off.

Lauren, that's her name. I have only seen her once before during the games, she was the first to run away from the bloodbath. She's smart, and if she is really smart she'll wait for everybody to kill everybody else and then she'll attack.

She's gone before I come back to my senses, damn it! I should have got her, she was right there.

I smirk, that's a good strategy, hide and leave everyone stunned while you get away. I should have thought of that. Maybe she is the real competitor here, not the deadly careers or the guy from eleven. She left the other packs untouched, good move.

Shit, Cato and Leah won't leave my pack there. It's my turn to run.

I run for it, run for my life. I can sense the emergence of danger before I see it. Fortunately, the first knife comes whizzing in on my right side so I can hear it and I'm able to deflect it. I send a knife right for her heart, but she's moving so quickly it gets her upper arm instead.

I forgot she uses knives too. The knife is in her left arm, too bad she throws with her right.

The cut slows her down for a few moments, having to pull the arrow from her arm, and taking in the severity of her wound.

I get to the table, grabbing the small bag, throwing it up my arm, it's too small to go anywhere else. I can hear it, so I pull out a knife and ready myself to throw, turning my head the slightest bit.

Her knife catches me in the forehead. It slices above my right eyebrow, opening a gash that sends a gush running down my face, blinding my eye, filling my mouth with the sharp, metallic taste of my own blood.

I stagger backward but still manage to send my readied knife in the general direction of my assailant. I know as it leaves my hands it will miss. And then Leah slams into me, knocking me flat on my back, pinning my shoulders to the ground with her knees. She must be eating well because she is heavy, maybe I'm just weak.

This is it. I'm going to die. Arizona is going to die. We aren't going to make it home this time. Poor Aria. Poor Daddy. Will they let them live in the victor's village even if I'm dead?

"Where's your girlfriend Fag? She still hanging on" She asks, looking down at me with a killer's smirk.

"She's out there now. Hunting Cato," I snarl at her, take a deep breath and scream "Zona!"

Leah jams her fist into my windpipe, very effectively cutting off my voice. But her head's whipping from side to side, and I know for a moment she's at least considering I'm telling the truth. Since no Arizona appears to save me, she turns back to me.

"Liar" Her grin grows bigger, "She's nearly dead. Cato knows where he cut her. You've probably got her strapped up in some tree while you try to keep her heart going. What's in the pretty little backpack? That medicine for Fireplug? Too bad she'll never get it."

She slowly opens her jacket. It's lined with an impressive array of knives. She carefully selects an almost dainty-looking number with a cruel, curved blade.

"I promised Cato if he let me have you, I'd give the audience a good show" She whispers, leaning close to my face, I can smell her breath, she really needs some mints or something.

I need to get away from her, I try to sit up, to squirm from under her, but it's no good. My body has grown weaker, as I do not eat as much as I should, even though I have to food.

"Forget it Fag. We're going to kill you. Just like we did your pathetic little ally... what was her name? The one who hopped around in the trees? Sofia? Well, first Sofia, then you, and then I think we'll just let nature take care of Fireplug. How does that sound?" She asks, as if I had a real choice, "Now, where to start?"

She carelessly wipes away the blood from my wound with her jacket sleeve. For a moment, she surveys my face, tilting it from side to side as if it's a block of wood and she's deciding exactly what pattern to carve on it. I attempt to bite her hand, but she grabs the hair on the top of my head, forcing me back to the ground.

"I think..." she almost purrs, "I think we'll start with your mouth."

I clamp my teeth together as she teasingly traces the outline of my lips with the tip of the blade. I won't close my eyes. The comment about Sofia has filled me with fury, enough fury I will die with some dignity. As my last act of defiance, I will stare her down as long as I can see, which will probably not be an extended period of time, but I will stare her down, I will not cry out. I will die, in my own small way, undefeated.

"Yes, I don't think you'll have much use for your lips anymore. Want to blow Fireplug one last kiss?" she asks, tilting her head like she wants me to.

I work up a mouthful of blood and saliva and spit it in her face. She flushes with rage.

"All right then. Let's get started" She says, wiping her face and gritting her teeth.

I brace myself for the agony that's sure to follow. But as I feel the tip open the first cut at my lip, some great form yanks her body from on top of mine. Her screaming is enough for me to sit up, so piercing and annoying.

My eyes go wide when I see the boy from Sofia's district. He has thrown Leah to the ground, stepping on her chest and keeping her in place.

Shane, his name is Shane. How simple is that? How could I not remember that?

When he shouts, I jump, never having heard him speak above a mutter. "What'd you do to that little girl? You kill her?"

Leah is breathing hard, fighting for nothing like a frantic insect, too shocked to even call for Cato.

"No! No, it wasn't me!" She finally spits out.

"You said her name. I heard you. You kill her," He screams, then a thought brings a fresh wave of rage to his features, "You cut her up like you were going to cut up this girl here?"

Shane must press down on her chest a bit, because in no time she is screaming, "Cato," She screeches, "Cato!"

"Leah" I hear Cato's answer, but he's too far away, I can tell that much, to do her any good.

Shane leans forward, and her chest caves in. Blood pour out of her, coating the ground in slick red. A cannon goes off for her. He turns to me so quickly I jump.

"What'd she mean? About Sofia being your ally" He demands, his dark eyes full of anger.

"We all teamed up. We sang to her" I say, eyes wide, there is no running, I can't run.

"Who killed her" He asks, stepping closer, causing me to flinch.

"The boy from one, Marvel. I killed him before she even died. I sang her to sleep" My heart is beating a millions times a second.

"To sleep" He ask, anger is leasing it's hold in his voice.

"To death. She wanted us to sing. She told us to win" I whisper, a tear runs down my face.

"Do it quickly Shane, please" I ask, a sob escaping my lips as I look down at the ground.

"Leah" Cato's voice is much nearer now, I can tell by the pain in it that he sees her on the ground.

"You better run fire girl. I won't let you get away again" He says, holding out a hand to me.

"I hope one of us wins" I say, taking the hand and standing up.

"Run" He orders.

I don't need to be told again, I am running to our cave, back to the love of my life.

Only when I reach the woods do I turn back for an instant. Thresh and both large backpacks are vanishing over the edge of the plain into the area I've never seen. Cato kneels beside Leah, wiping blood away from her chest, then hair away from her face. It's over though, she's already dead.

I crash into the trees, repeatedly swiping away the blood that's pouring into my eye, fleeing like the wild, wounded creature I am.

Cato will be on one of our trails. Either Shane's or mine. I'm seized with terror, weak from my head wound, shaking. I load an arrow, but Cato can throw that spear almost as far as I can shoot.

Only one thing calms me down. Sane has Cato's backpack containing the thing he needs desperately.

If I had to bet, Cato headed out after Shane, not me.

I keep running until I can't. I'm close to it but I can't.

I can't make it to the cave. I'm loosing to much blood.

I drop to the ground, unmoving.

"Callie" I hear her scream, then the cannon.


	25. Chapter 25

My body acts on it's own, I'm on my feet and running to our cave. Blood from my forehead it blurring my vision but I don't care, I need to get to her. My Arizona.

"Arizona" I scream, give me something women.

"Zona" I cry, I can make out the cave.

A body is in front of the cave. Face down. Blonde hair. Red blood is pouring out from an arrow in the neck.

I wipe away my blood, Arizona wouldn't be killed by an arrow.

"Callie"

I sigh in relief when I am tackled to the ground.

"I woke up and you were gone, then she came running and I heard a cannon and I thought" She trails off, digging her face into my neck.

"Let's move the body" I whisper, it needs to go away so we can get back in the cave and they can come and get it.

"Okay" She whispers.

We roll her on her back. Somehow she made it all the way to Arizona, at least I don't have to worry about her anymore. I pick her up alone, I carry her twenty feet, laying her head on a rock.

"Callie, come here, quickly" Arizona orders through gritted teeth.

"Yeah baby" I ask, walking over to her, I feel a little dizzy.

"Get in the cave, now" She whispers.

I don't know what's up, but I know better than to ask. I sit down in the cave, wiping my forehead of blood again. She limps in and sits next to me.

"Can I stitch it up" She asks, wiping some blood off of my cheek.

"It's not that deep, it should stop soon" I says, closing my eyes, her hands are so soft.

"Okay, what's in the bag"

"A thing for your leg" I sigh, handing her the bag without opening my eyes.

"I love you" She whispers, her lips meeting my forehead for a second.

I smile, but don't open my eyes.

"I love you too Fireplug" I whisper.

"Fireplug" She asks, I flinch when something presses against my forehead, "It's just a strip of jacket, we need to stop the bleeding somehow."

"They call, well called you Fireplug, I'm Fag" I take a deep breath.

"You're my Fag" She whispers, her lips press against my cheek.

"There' only four of us left. Cato, Shane and us" I inform her.

"Cato" She whispers.

"He looks like Tim" I say.

"Yeah, he does" She whispers, and I hear a sob escape.

I don't open my eyes, I can't, they are glued shut.

"Shh, it's okay baby" I pull her into me.

Her head rests on my shoulder, so I press my lips against her forehead.

"Callie" She whispers, I feel her wipe away some tears.

"Let me sleep women" I groan.

"You're burning up" She says, touching my neck.

"Then strip me down" I groan.

"Okay baby, just don't go to the light. Stay here with me" She whispers, and I feel her tug off my boots.

"You just want to taste me" I whisper.

"Callie" She snaps.

"What" I snap right back.

"The whole world can hear you right now" She says very slowly.

"Hey Mommy I'm gay, you happy with me now" I shoot out.

"Shut up beautiful" She whispers, tugging my pants off.

"The shirt stays" I whisper.

"Let me pull it up a bit" She whispers, her body returning next to mine and a cold hand running up my shirt.

"Your cold" I whine as she pulls my shirt up to my rib cage.

"You need to cool off" She soothes, running her hand in circles over my tummy.

"I can't, we're the district on fire" I giggle.

"Go to sleep baby" She whisper in my ear.

"Okay, I love you" I whisper, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"I love you too Fag" She smiles into my neck.

The darkness overtakes my body.


	26. Chapter 26

The sound of rain drumming on the roof of our cave gently pulls me toward consciousness. I fight to return to sleep though, when I wake up bad things will happen, I'm not ready for them to happen. A gentle voice is mumbling in my ear.

"Calliope" It whispers, "Calliope can you hear me?"

The smell of blood replaces everything else. I feel her lean farther into me.

"Calliope honey, please wake up" She whispers, I feel water hit my face, warm water, she's crying.

"Arizona" I whisper, reaching up to where I think her face is, the soft feeling lets me know I'm right.

"Callie" She questions.

I open my eyes and her beautiful face comes into view. Pale skin. Pink lips. Flawless skin. Bright blue eyes. Tears rolling down her face.

"Hey" I whisper, wiping a few tears away.

"You have no idea how good it is to see your eyes" She whispers.

"How is my head" I ask, sitting up.

"I think it's stopped bleeding" She sucks her bottom lip in, biting it.

"Are you better" I ask, looking her over.

"Yeah, I even went outside before it started raining" I smiles lightly, but it's not real, her dimples don't show.

"Are you mad" I ask, looking down.

"You left without telling me and I woke up to a girl with a knife to my neck telling me to work with her. I heard a cannon and thought you were dead. When you finally came back it was after I had killed her and you had a huge gasp in your forehead. Of course I'm mad" She says, tilting my head back up.

Her head tilts down, her blue eyes shining, watching her own hand. A small smile, showing only her left dimple. She runs her thumb over my cheek, down to my lips. She moves her hand down to my neck, running her thumb over where my hickey was. Her eyes meet mine, she tilts her head a bit to the side. She slowly leans down, her soft pinks lips make something explode inside of me when they meet mine.

"You're mark is gone" She whispers, kissing my neck.

I chuckle to myself.

"How about you fix that" I ask, a real smile playing upon my lips.

She lightly sucks at the skin on the right of my neck, earning a moan. Then she lightly nips it, causing me to yelp in pain. Then she kisses it better.

I growl out "My god Arizona, get it o"

The teeth digging into the side of my neck cause me to stop taking. I know there will be teeth marks for a few days.

"There" She whispers, pulling back with a smile.

"My god" I whisper, running a hand over where she just bit me.

"Here, drink some water" She orders, handing me some water.

"Thanks" I whisper, taking it and gulping it down.

"Eat" She hands me a pack of dried fruit.

"I'm not hungry" I argue.

"Bullshit. Eat" She orders.

I open the package and eat half of it, not daring to look up into her eyes.

"Good girl" She whispers, her soft lips meeting my cheek.

"Can I stop now" I ask, my mouth full of food.

She giggles, "Yeah, I think the ran has stopped."

"Has a cannon gone off" I ask, Shane or Cato should be dead.

"No" She states simply, "Who do you want to live?"

"If we both die? Shane. He was friends with Sofia. He let me go because of her. I think he is a good guy, we might have been smart to have had him on our team. I hope Cato kills him, because I don't think I can" I say, then bite my lip.

"Did you kill Leah" She asks, looking away from me.

"Shane did" I answer.

"Lucky he didn't get you" She whispers, kissing my forehead.

"He did. He let me go because of what we did for Sofia" I say, looking up into her eyes.

"Let you go" She asks, her brows furrowing.

"I was on the ground, Leah on top of me. She was about to kill me. She was taunting me about what happened with Sofia. Shane was close enough to hear it. He pulled her off of me, he stepped on her, killed her. He could have done the same to me. We sang Sofia to sleep, he didn't want to owe me. He couldn't owe me. He let me go" I bite my lip, drawing blood for the first time.

"This is sick. Hoping people we like get killed? That is wrong to no ends" She says, shaking her head.

"Better than having to kill them ourselves" I whisper, looking at the ground.

"I have to get out of here" She whispers, shooting me a glare that kills as she stand up.

"Arizona" I whisper, grabbing her hand, "I'm sorry."

She looks down at me, tears brimming her beautiful eyes. She lets out a sigh.

"I'm not mad. Let's just get out of here, leave and be ready for the great fight between us and who ever is left" She says.

"Okay, lets go as soon as the rain stops" I whisper, pulling her back down by her hand.

A new smell enters my nose. The crackle of leaves hits my ears.

"Run" I whisper, throwing my bag over my shoulder and pulling her up with me.

"Callie it's still raining" She say, fighting my hand.

"Let's go. Now" I order, moving out of the cave to show my point.

"Callie what the fuck is going on" She argues as she follows me.

"That" I say, pointing before I grab her hand and take off running.


	27. Chapter 27

They run, fast.

"Shit" The blonde curses.

"At least we won't have to stay in that cave anymore" The Latina says, laughing as she stumbles.

"Let's just go to the Cornucopia and wait for them" Arizona suggests, which is a good thing.

They run, hand and hand through the woods.

I sigh as the pendents shine, even the other tributes play off the 'district twelve is on fire' thing.

The screen goes back to Cato and Shane, they are bickering, as always.

"Why shouldn't we just kill each other now" Cato asks, shouting in Shane's face.

"Two can win, we both have a better chance if we team up and take them both out" Shane states calmly, always calmly.

"Fuck you" Cato says, walking off.

"We are a team Cato" Shane says, following him.

"Then keep up. We are sleeping in a tree. I'm not up for a fight tonight" He says, shooting back a look daring him to challenge him.

They climb up in a tree before the screen goes back to Callie and Arizona. they are on top of the Cornucopia, smart I guess. Callie is holding her knives and Arizona has a bow, ready for anything to come.

The all watch as the seal plays in the sky. No deaths, nothing to report. They all fall asleep and then it goes back, recapping the big moments of the day.

"Mark, they can make it home, they have a real chance" Jackson says from my side.

"Do you really believe it" I ask, turning around to face him.

His stunned face tells me he has no idea what I'm talking about.

"Jackson, they aren't going to let there be two winners. They are just getting our hope up. They will not allow two people to win" I say angrily.

"They could change it Mark, there is still hope" Jackson challenges.

"No they can't. Screw you" I say, walking past him and to my room.

The Avox girl is in my room, straightening my bed sheets.

"Lexie" I whisper, shutting the door.

She turns around and smiles. When we are alone is the only time she acts like herself. I rush to her, kissing her soft lips, my hands running though her dark locks.

She pulls away from the kiss. She knows I need it. She always knows.

She lays down on the best, patting next to her, telling me to lay down. I gladly do as she instructed. She roll on her side, gently kissing my temple. She runs her fingers through my short hair.

"You're beautiful" I whisper, looking up into her golden brown eyes.

A smile crosses her face and she gently kisses my lips.

"I wish you could still talk" I whisper, feeling my walls caving in.

She nods, her face turning sad again. She reaches to the nightstand and grabs a paper. She scribbles out something and then hands it to me.

I take it and read it.

_Three words,_

_You're an ass_

I laugh at this, it was the first thing she ever said to me.

Yes I knew her before she was an Avox. I knew her well. She ran away from the district. She was trying to get to the arena, to find a way to get me out. She was caught less than a mile away from the arena, they cut out her tongue and made her my Avox.

The Capital likes to show that they know everything. They like to show us that they control us, no matter what we do, they own us.

She makes somewhat of a giggle sound, then flips it over.

_I love you_

I smile, it feels good to know.

I already knew of course. We've loved each other for years.

"I've loved you forever" I whisper, pulling her into a kiss.

She takes the paper and writes again.

_She's your best friend, let it out_

I shake my head, "She hates me."

_She loves you Mark, even if you fight on reaping days and during the whole time you see me, you two are friends_

"You're so smart" I whisper, closing my eyes.

She gently strokes my hair, if she could talk she'd be whispering in my ear. Just the feel of her hands sooth me to sleep, just the way it should be.

"I can't loose her too" I whisper, then let the tears fall.

She nods, pulling me close and letting me cry into her neck.

"I lost Derek and I can't loose her. Not to these stupid games. She's my best friend" I sob, unlike I would to any man.

She soothes my by running her fingers through my hair. It's stupid and I will never tell anybody how much I like it, but it's up there with the sex.

"I love you Lexie Grey" I whisper, shutting my eyes and letting darkness take over.


	28. Chapter 28

"Come on baby" I whisper to the blonde at my side.

"I don't wanna, my leg hurts" She whines.

"Fine, you can stay here and I'll go get us water" I sigh, giving her a quick peck.

"Thank you, my lovey Fag" She smiles.

"Anything for my Fireplug" I whisper, then kiss her forehead.

"I love you" She opens her eyes for the first time, those eyes show me the truth.

"I love you too" I smile, then I roll of the top of the Cornucopia.

I stretch and groan. My head still hurts. I sit down next to the lake, filling up the water and listening to the sound, well the music of the forest. For a while, I just close my eyes and listen, mesmerized by the beauty of the song. Then something begins to disrupt the music, cries of birds, running of feet.

I'm on my feet and wielding a knife when Cato smashes through the trees and bears down on me. He has no spear. In fact, his hands are empty, yet he runs straight for me. My first knife hits his chest and inexplicably falls aside.

"He's got body armor" Arizona yells from her place on the Cornucopia.

Cato is upon me. I brace myself, but he rockets right past with no attempt to check his speed. I can tell from his panting, the sweat pouring off his purplish face, that he's been running hard a long time. Not toward us. Then Shane comes running from the woods, also running.

From something. But what?

My eyes scan the woods just in time to see the first creature leap onto the plain. As I'm turning away, I see another half dozen join it. Then I am stumbling blindly after Cato with no thought of anything but to save myself.

Mutations. No question about it. I've never seen these mutts, but they're no natural-born animals.

They resemble huge wolves, but what wolf lands and then balances easily on its hind legs? What wolf waves the rest of the pack forward with its front paw as though it had a wrist? These things I can see at a distance. Up close, I'm sure their more menacing attributes will be revealed.

Cato has made a beeline for the Cornucopia, and without question I follow him. If he thinks it's the safest place, who am I to argue? He can clearly see Arizona waiting at the top and yet he still runs to it.

I look back to Shane, he's about fifteen yards behind me, hobbling as fast as he can, but the mutts are closing in on him fast. I send an arrow into the pack and one goes down, but there are plenty to take its place.

Shane's waving me up the horn, "Go, Callie! Go!"

He's right. I can't protect anyone on the ground. I start climbing, scaling the Cornucopia on my hands and feet.

I look up and Arizona is helping Cato onto it, which is odd, but we are all still human. We haven't lost our morals. I hear Shane cry out. I twist around and see he's just reached the tail, and the mutts are right on his heels.

"Climb" I yell, pointlessly, what else would he do?

I throw my knife down the throat of the first mutt that places its paws on the metal. As it dies the creature lashes out, inadvertently opening gashes on a few of its companions. That's when I get a look at the claws.

Four inches and clearly razor-sharp.

Shane reaches my feet and I grab his arm and pull him along. Then I remember Cato waiting at the top and whip around, but he's doubled over with cramps and apparently more preoccupied with the mutts than us. Arizona yells something unintelligible. The snuffling, growling sound coming from the mutts isn't helping.

"What?" I shout at her.

"She said, 'Can they climb it?'" answers Shane, drawing my focus back to the base of the horn.

The mutts are beginning to assemble. As they join together, they raise up again to stand easily on their back legs giving them an eerily human quality. Each has a thick coat, some with fur that is straight and sleek, others curly, and the colors vary from jet black to what I can only describe as blond. There's something else about them, something that makes the hair rise up on the back of my neck, but I can't put my finger on it.

They put their snouts on the horn, sniffing and tasting the metal, scraping paws over the surface and then making high-pitched yipping sounds to one another. This must be how they communicate because the pack backs up as if to make room. Then one of them, a good-size mutt with silky waves of blond fur takes a running start and leaps onto the horn. Its back legs must be incredibly powerful because it lands a mere ten feet below us, its pink lips pulled back in a snarl. For a moment it hangs there, and in that moment I realize what else unsettled me about the mutts. The green eyes glowering at me are unlike any dog or wolf, any canine I've ever seen. They are unmistakably human.

And that revelation has barely registered when I notice the collar with the number 1 inlaid with jewels and the whole horrible thing hits me. The blonde hair, the green eyes, the number... it's Glimmer.

A shriek escapes my lips, I'm waiting to see if the creatures can, in fact, climb. But now, even though the mutt has begun to slide backward, unable to find any purchase on the metal, even though I can hear the slow screeching of the claws like nails on a blackboard, I fire into its throat.

Its body twitches and flops onto the ground with a thud.

"Callie" Arizona asks, I can feel Shane's grip on my arm.

"It's Glimmer" I yell.

My head snaps from side to side as I examine the pack, taking in the various sizes and colors. There's the ashen hair and hazel eyes of the boy from District 9 who died as we struggled for the backpack! And worst of all, the smallest mutt, with dark glossy fur, huge brown eyes and a collar that reads 11 in woven straw. Teeth bared in hatred. I take a deep breath, it's Sofia.

"The other Tributes" Arizona whispers, I think to herself.

I take a moment to look behind me, Cato is doubled over, gasping for air. Arizona is rubbing his back, trying to get him to breathe.

Now would be a good time to push him over, to end it like that. Then push Shane over too. End both of them just like that.

I look back down at the new image forming at the bottom, the mutts begin a new assault on the horn. They've split into two groups at the sides of the horn and are using those powerful hindquarters to launch themselves at us. A pair of teeth ring together just inches from my hand.

I hear Shane cry out, feel the yank on his body, the heavy weight of boy and mutt pulling me over the side. If not for the grip on my arm, he'd be on the ground, but as it is, it takes all my strength to keep us both on the curved back of the horn. And more tributes are coming.

"Kill it, Shane! Kill it!" I'm shouting, and although I can't quite see what's happening, I know he must have stabbed the thing because the pull lessens.

I'm able to haul him back onto the horn where I drag us toward the top where the lesser of two evils awaits.

Cato is breathing is slowing and I know soon he'll be recovered enough to come for us, to hurl us over the side to our deaths. Arizona is rushing to me, helping me stand up.

I get my knife, but it ends up taking out a mutt that can only be Leah. Who else could jump so high? I feel a moment's relief because we must finally be up above the mutt line and I'm just turning back to face Cato when Arizona's jerked from my side.

I'm sure the pack has got her until her blood splatters my face.

Cato stands before me, almost at the lip of the horn, holding Arizona in some kind of headlock, cutting off her air. She's clawing at Cato's arm, but weakly, as if confused over whether it's more important to breathe or try and stem the gush of blood from the gaping hole a mutt left in her calf.

"Get her Shane, get her" He's yelling to the man at my side.

I don't have time to worry about him, I aim a knife, oh my god I only have two left. I aim one of my last two knifes at Cato's head.

Cato just laughs. "Shoot me and she goes down with me."

He's right. If I take him out and he falls to the mutts, Arizona is sure to die with him. We've reached a stalemate. I can't shoot Cato without killing Arizona too. He can't kill Arizona without guaranteeing an arrow in his brain. We stand like statues, both of us seeking an out.

"Get her Shane, what the fuck are you waiting for" He yells at the man to my side.

I look at him from the corner of my eye, he is just looking at me, wide eyed.

"You saved me, again" He whispers.

"Pick a side Shane, pick a side" I yell.

My muscles are strained so tightly, they feel they might snap at any moment. My teeth clenched to the breaking point. The mutts go silent and the only thing I can hear is the blood pounding in my good ear.

Arizona's lips are turning blue. If I don't do something quickly, she'll die of asphyxiation and then I'll have lost her and Cato will probably use his body as a weapon against me. In fact, I'm sure this is Cato's plan because while he's stopped laughing, his lips are set in a triumphant smile.

As if in a last-ditch effort, Arizona raises her fingers, dripping with blood from her leg, up to Cato's arm.

Instead of trying to wrestle her way free, her forefinger veers off and makes a deliberate X on the back of Cato's hand. Cato realizes what it means exactly one second after I do. I can tell by the way the smile drops from his lips.

It's one second too late because, by that time, my knife is piercing his hand. He cries out and reflexively releases Arizona, who slams back against him. For a horrible moment, I think they're both going over.

I am frozen to the spot, but Shane isn't. He leaps forward, for a moment I think he is going to get Cato and pull him back up, but instead he grabs Arizona as Cato loses his footing on the blood-slick horn and plummets to the ground.

We hear him hit, the air leaving his body on impact, and then the mutts attack him. Arizona has tears running down her face as she rushes to me. Shane lets her go, he has tears in his eyes.

A cannon goes off, the Mutts have killed Cato. I wrap my arms around Arizona, she buries her head into my neck, wetting it with her tears. I run my hands though her blood stained hair.

I look back up to Shane. He is staring at us, but he isn't here. He is having a battle inside of him.

"Shane" I whisper.

His dark eyes meet mine, they tell me all I need to know.

Everything happens so fast.

Shane starts running to us, his intent to kill.

Arizona grabs my last knife and whorls around.

The knife hits him in the forehead, stunning him.

He stumbles backwards and tumbles over the side.

Arizona buries her head back in the crook of my neck.

I bite my lip and try to process it. It's just me and Arizona left.

I hold on to Arizona, waiting for the cannon, waiting for the competition to finish, waiting to be released. But it doesn't happen. Not yet. Because this is the climax of the Hunger Games, and the audience expects a show.

I don't watch, but I can hear the snarls, the growls, the howls of pain from both human and beast as Shane takes on the mutt pack. I can't understand how he can be surviving until I remember the body armor protecting him from ankle to neck and I realize what a long night this could be.

Shane must have a knife or sword or something, too, something he had hidden in his clothes, because on occasion there's the death scream of a mutt or the sound of metal on metal as the blade collides with the golden horn. The combat moves around the side of the Cornucopia, and I know he must be attempting the one maneuver that could save his life, to make his way back around to the tail of the horn and rejoin us. In the end, despite his remarkable strength and skill, he is simply overpowered.

I don't know how long it has been, maybe an hour or so, when Shane hits the ground and we hear the mutts dragging him, dragging him back into the Cornucopia. Now they'll finish him off, just like they did Cato, but there's still no cannon.

Why did they kill Cato so easily, but not kill Shane. I know why. It's because he's the last one.

Night falls and the anthem plays and there's a picture of Cato in the sky, but no Shane, only the faint moans coming through the metal beneath us. The icy air blowing across the plain reminds me that the Games are not over and may not be for who knows how long, and there is still no guarantee of victory.

I slowly get Arizona to lay down and discover her leg is bleeding as badly as ever. Some how all our supplies got knocked down in the struggle. I have no bandage, nothing to staunch the flow of blood from his calf.

Although I'm shaking in the biting wind, I rip off my jacket, remove my shirt, and zip back into the jacket as swiftly as possible. That brief exposure sets my teeth chattering beyond control.

Her face is gray in the pale moonlight. I probe her wound. Warm, slippery blood runs over my fingers. A bandage will not be enough. I've seen my mother tie a tourniquet a handful of times and try to replicate it.

I cut free a sleeve from my shirt, wrap it twice around his leg just under her knee, and tie a half knot. I don't have a stick, so I take an arrow and insert it in the knot, twisting it as tightly as I dare. It's risky business, she may end up losing his leg, but when I weigh this against her losing her life, what alternative do I have? I bandage the wound in the rest of my shirt and lay down with her.

"Don't go to sleep" I whisper, I'm not sure if this is exactly medical protocol, but I'm terrified that if she drifts off she'll never wake again.

"Are you cold" she asks.

Without waiting for me to answer she unzips her jacket. I gladly press against her as she fastens it around me. It's a bit warmer, sharing our body heat inside a double layer of jackets, but the night is young. The temperature will continue to drop.

"He may win this thing yet" I whisper to Arizona.

"Don't you believe it for a second" she says, pulling up my hood, but she's shaking harder than I am.

The next hours are the worst in my life, which if you think about it, is saying something. The cold would be torture enough, but the real nightmare is listening to Shane, moaning, begging, and finally just whimpering as the mutts work away at him. After a very short time, I don't care who he is or what he's done, all I want is for his suffering to end.

"Why don't they just kill him" I ask Arizona.

"You know why" she says, pulling me even closer.

I do. No viewer could turn away from the show now. From the Gamemakers' point of view, this is the final word in entertainment.

It goes on and on and on and eventually completely consumes my mind, blocking out memories and hopes of tomorrow, erasing everything but the present, which I begin to believe will never change.

There will never be anything but cold and fear and the agonized sounds of the boy dying in the horn.

Arizona begins to doze off now, and each time she does, I find myself yelling her name louder and louder because if she goes and dies on me now, I know I'll go completely insane. She's fighting it, probably more for me than for herself, and it's hard because unconsciousness would be its own form of escape.

The adrenaline pumping through my body would never allow me to follow her, so I can't let her go. I just can't.

The only indication of the passage of time lies in the heavens, the subtle shift of the moon. So Arizona begins pointing it out to me, insisting I acknowledge its progress and sometimes, for just a moment I feel a flicker of hope before the agony of the night engulfs me again.

Finally, I hear her whisper that the sun is rising. I open my eyes and find the stars fading in the pale light of dawn. I can see, too, how bloodless her face has become. How little time she has left. I know I have to get her back to the Capitol.

There has been no cannon and I can still her the faint sounds of his voice.

"Maybe he's close to the opening and I can shoot him" Arizona whispers.

I nod and help her to the opening of the Cornucopia. She leans over the side and I tighten my grip, if she falls over she's as dead as him.

"Please" I hear him whisper.

I hear the arrow go, and the sound of it hitting his skull. I pull her back up, she has tears in her eyes.

"It's okay baby, we won" I whisper, taking her face in my hands and wiping her tears away.

The sound of the cannon reinforces what I just said. She nods, biting her bottom lip. I lean in and place a soft kiss against her lips. They aren't soft like normal. They are hard and cracked, but they are still hers.

A hole opens in the plain and as if on cue, the remaining mutts bound into it, disappearing as the earth closes above them. I shake my head and wait.

Wait for something to happen. Why is nothing happening? I look for a camera, look right into it.

"What's going on? We won" I say into it.

"Maybe it's the body. Maybe we have to move away from it" Arizona whispers.

I nod, I don't remember if I have to move away or not. Why can't I remember?

"Can you make it to the lake" I ask, looking down at her bloody leg.

"You can carry me" She whispers, her blue eyes pleading for help.

"Of course" I whisper, scoping her up and all but jumping off the Cornucopia.

I carry her to the lake. We sit and wait.

"What are they waiting for" She asks, taking a gulp of water from the water bottles from last night.

"I think we both know" I whisper, sitting down next to her.

She sighs and tilts her head.

"Wanna have sex" She asks with a magical smile.

I can't help the laugh that erupts, and she is giggling along.

"I love you" I whisper, laying down.

"I love you too" She whispers, grabbing my hand and interlinking our fingers.


	29. Chapter 29

**"Greetings to the final contestants of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games. The earlier revision has been revoked. Closer examination of the rule book has disclosed that only one winner may be allowed," **he says.** "Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor."**

There's a small burst of static and then nothing more.

"I knew it" I whisper, letting a tear run down the side of my face.

"Calliope" She whispers, wiping away my tear.

"I hate this" I whimper, my eyes meeting hers.

"I know, me too" She looks away.

"Hey what's wrong baby" I ask, cupping her face.

"What's wrong? Are you kidding me? You have to kill me. After everything we have been though, you just have to kill me like it's nothing. I fought to get here and now they aren't going to let me have what I've waited years to get" She lets a few tears fall.

"Oh baby" I pull her into my arms, holding her like a baby.

She buries her head in my neck. She balls up some of my shirt in her hands, clutching it like it can save her from death. I gently rock her back and forth, like a baby.

"C-Can you do it fast" She stutters, looking up with puffy eyes, the blue color popping out.

"I'm not going to kill you baby" I whisper, gently pressing my lips to her forehead.

"You have to" She whispers.

"No, I'm not going to. I'm going to die out here with you" I argue.

"**I love you**" I whisper.

"**I love you**" She whispers back, gently kissing me.

A soft thud interrupts our kiss. It's a gift from the sponsors. It landed about a foot away so I stand up and get it.

Arizona also stands up for some reason. I open the small package, I shake my head and let a tear fall.

"What is it" She asks.

I hand her the note.

_District twelve is on fire and will not be overlooked._

Inside of it is gasoline and matches.

"Oh god, this is so horrible" She whispers, but she reaches forward and takes the gas.

"What are you doing" I ask when she pours some over herself.

"Getting ready to die with you" She smiles sadly, no joy in her eyes.

"Give me some of that" I whisper, taking it and pouring it over myself.

She grabs the matches, takes one out.

"Wait" I whisper, grabbing her hand in mine.

"Do you want to sing" She asks, smiling a real smile.

"Yeah, I do" I whisper, smiling down into her eyes.

"Okay, go for it" She quickly pecks my lips.

"All of these lines across my face Tell you the story of who I am So many stories of where I've been And how I got to where I am

But these stories don't mean anything When you've got no one to tell them to It's true, I was made for you

I climbed across the mountaintops Swam all across the ocean blue I crossed all the lines and I broke all the rules But, baby, I broke them all for you

Oh because even when I was flat broke You made me feel like a million bucks You do, and I was made for you

You see the smile that's on my mouth It's hiding the words that don't come out And all of my friends who think that I'm blessed They don't know my head is a mess

No, they don't know who I really am And they don't know what I've been through Like you do, and I was made for you

All of these lines across my face Tell you the story of who I am So many stories of where I've been And how I got to where I am

Oh, but these stories don't mean anything When you've got no one to tell them to It's true that I was made for you Oh, yeah, well, it's true that I was made for you" I sing, her eyes are watering.

"Made for me" She questions.

"Made for you" I smile, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"Ready" She asks, looking down at the match in her hand.

"How about we kiss while you light it, that way we'll be together until the end" I whisper, looking into her eyes.

"Of course" She smiles sadly, tilting her head up.

I meet her lips. It's soft at first, but it get rougher. My tongue slips into her mouth. I hear the spark of the flame. I pull grab her ass, god it's good, and pull her hips closer to meet mine. Then I tangle my hand in her hair.

That's when the flames spark, we are both on fire. The screaming of muscles. The burning of flesh, the tears. I push though it all and kiss her. I will kiss her until my last dying breath, which is in about ten seconds.

I am pulled into the lake, the flames engulfing us are put out. Everything hurts so fucking much. Her lips are gone from mine. I am brought back up to the surface, gagging from the smoke and water in my system.

"We won" Arizona chokes out.

"What" I ask, confused.

"You didn't hear them? We won. The are letting us win" She smiles, kissing me again.

"My god that hurts" I whisper, but I grab her hand.

"Close your eyes and wait to be home" She whispers.


	30. Chapter 30

The next thing I know we've landed back on the roof of the Training Center and they're taking Arizona but leaving me behind the door of glass. I start hurling myself against the glass, shrieking. Why is she with doctors? What have they done to her? Are they going to kill her? Why am I not with her?

I catch a glimpse of pink hair, it must be Effie, it has to be Effie coming to my rescue. A sharp object jabs me from behind and everything goes black.

* * *

I'm afraid to move at first. The entire ceiling glows with a soft yellow light allowing me to see that I'm in a room containing just my bed. No doors, no windows are visible. The air smells of something sharp and antiseptic. My right arm has several tubes that extend into the wall behind me. I'm naked, but the bedclothes arc soothing against my skin. I tentatively lift my left hand above the cover.

Not only has it been scrubbed clean, the nails are filed in perfect ovals, the scars from the burns are less prominent. I touch my cheek, my lips, the puckered scar above my eyebrow, and am just running my fingers through now my silk like hair.

I try and sit up, but some sort of wide restraining band around my waist keeps me from rising more than a few inches. The physical confinement makes me panic and I'm trying to pull myself up and wriggle my hips through the band when a portion of the wall slides open and in steps an Avox girl carrying a tray.

It's Lexie. The one who Mark sleeps with all the time. She would be killed if anybody found out. Seeing her soothes me and I stop struggling. I want to ask her a million questions, but she can't talk, so they would be pointless.

She sets the tray across my thighs and presses something that raises me to a sitting position. While she adjusts my pillows, I have to ask just one question. I say it out loud, as clearly as my rusty voice will allow, so nothing will seem secretive.

"Did she make it?"

She gives me a small smile and a nod. She slips a spoon into my hand, I feel the pressure of friendship. She's maybe twenty something. I know the story from Mark, it was his last year and her first. He was picked, she wasn't. She made her way to the arena, almost made it, but she got away.

"Thanks" I whisper, watching as she leaves the room.

The door closes noiselessly after her and I turn hungrily to the tray. A bowl of clear broth, a small serving of applesauce, and a glass of water. This is it? Shouldn't my homecoming dinner be a little more spectacular? I soon find it's an effort to finish the spare meal before me.

My stomach seems to have shrunk to the size of a chestnut, and I have to wonder how long I've been out because I had no trouble eating a fairly sizable breakfast that last morning in the arena. There's usually a lag of a few days between the end of the competition and the presentation of the victor so that they can put the starving, wounded, mess of a person back together again.

Somewhere, Jackson and Yang will be creating our wardrobes for the public appearances. Effie and Mark will be arranging the banquet for our sponsors, reviewing the questions for our final interviews. Back home, District 12 is probably in chaos as they try and organize the homecoming celebrations for Arizona and me.

Home? My god that word sounds so different now. I don't care about the warm house. I don't care about my mother's nagging. I am happy to go back, believe me, but... I want to see Arizona. I need to see Arizona. She's my home.

**Home is where the heart is.**

Arizona has my heart, she is my home. What I would give to be in her arms right now.

I want to get out of this bed. To see Arizona and Mark, to find out more about what's been going on. And why shouldn't I? I feel fine. As I start to work my way out of the band, I feel a cold liquid seeping into my vein from one of the tubes and almost immediately lose consciousness.

This happens on and off for an indeterminate amount of time. My waking, eating, and, even though I resist the impulse to try and escape the bed, being knocked out again. I seem to be in a strange, continual twilight.

Only a few things register. Lexie has not returned since the feeding, my scars are disappearing, and do I imagine it? Or do I hear a man's voice yelling? Not in the Capitol accent, but in the rougher cadences of home. And I can't help having a vague, comforting feeling that someone is looking out for me.

Then finally, the time arrives when I come to and there's nothing plugged into my right arm. The restraint around my middle has been removed and I am free to move about. I start to sit up but am arrested by the sight of my hands. The skin's perfection, smooth and glowing. Not only are the scars from the arena gone, but those accumulated over the years are gone. Last time this didn't happen. Of course last time I hadn't been on fire.

I slip my legs out of bed, nervous about how they will bear my weight and find them strong and steady.

Lying at the foot of the bed is an outfit that makes me flinch. It's what all of us tributes wore in the arena. I stare at it as if it had teeth until I remember that, of course, this is what I will wear to greet my team. I have to. Just like last time.

I'm dressed in less than a minute and fidgeting in front of the wall where I know there's a door even if I can't see it when suddenly it slides open. I step into a wide, deserted hall that appears to have no other doors on it, but it must. Behind one of them must be Arizona. Now that I'm conscious and moving, I'm growing more and more anxious about her. She must be all right or the Lexie wouldn't have said so. I need to see her for myself.

"Arizona!" I call out, since there's no one to ask.

I hear my name in response, but it's not her voice. It's a voice that provokes first irritation and then eagerness, it's Effie.

I turn and see them all waiting in a big chamber at the end of the hall Effie, Yang, and Mark. My feet take off without hesitation. I should show more restraint, more superiority, especially since I know this will be on tape, but I don't care. I wasn't like this last time. I was asking to go home, but now I don't care.

I run for them and I launch into Mark's arms first.

When whispers in my ear, "I knew you could win it." and kisses my forehead.

Effie's somewhat teary and keeps patting my hair and talking about how she knew we could win. Yang just pats my back and doesn't say anything. Then I notice Jackson is absent and get a bad feeling.


	31. Chapter 31

"Where's Jackson? Is he with Arizona? She's alright isn't she? I mean" I babble.

"She's fine," Mark interrupts me, "They are doing your reunion live."

"Really? I have to do it in front of everybody? I was hoping to have a nice bath and some time alone" I whine.

"You'll get plenty of that at home" Mark winks.

"Come on, let's go get you ready" Yang orders, turning around.

I gladly follow. Yang is my best girl friend, even if we don't really talk that much. She's the only person I can talk to besides Jackson and Mark, but they are men so, yeah.

"Hey why weren't you helping on the first day" I ask, remembering it was Jackson who got me ready for the reaping.

"Sloan requested me. He said that I wouldn't make him feel like he was being bossed around by a pretty boy" She answers, leading me away from the cameras.

We get to the elevator that leads to the lobby of the Training Center. The hospital then is far underground, even beneath the gym where the tributes practiced tying knots and throwing spears. The windows of the lobby are darkened, and a handful of guards stand on duty.

No one else is there to see us cross to the tribute elevator. Our footsteps echo in the emptiness. And when we ride up to the twelfth floor, the faces of all the tributes who will never return flash across my mind and there's a heavy, tight place in my chest.

When the elevator doors open, Meredith, Addison, and Izzie engulf me, talking so quickly and ecstatically I can't make out their words. The sentiment is clear though. They are truly thrilled to see me and I'm happy to see them, too, although not like I was to see Yang. It's more in the way one might be glad to see an affectionate trio of pets at the end of a particularly difficult day.

They sweep me into the dining room and I get a real meal, roast beef and peas and soft rolls, although my portions are still being strictly controlled. When I ask for seconds, I'm refused.

"No, no, no. They don't want it all coming back up on the stage" says Izzie, but she secretly slips me an extra roll under the table to let me know she's on my side.

We go back to my room and Yang disappears for a while as the prep team gets me ready.

"Oh, they did a full body polish on you," says Addison enviously. "Not a flaw left on your skin."

When I look at my naked body in the mirror, all I can see is how skinny I am. I mean, I'm sure I was worse when I came out of the arena, but I can easily count my ribs, which is something I do not like. I have my curves and I work them well. I look sick, like I've been not eating for months. I don't understand why though, I always had food in the arena, why am I so small?

When I look back I guess I didn't eat that much. I always had food there, but I didn't really eat that much.

They shower me, and they go to work on my hair, nails, and makeup when I'm done. They chatter so continuously that I barely have to reply, which is good, since I don't feel very talkative.

It's funny, because even though they're rattling on about the Games, it's all about where they were or what they were doing or how they felt when a specific event occurred. "I was still in bed!" "I had just had my eyebrows dyed!" "I swear I nearly fainted!" Everything is about them, not the dying boys and girls in the arena.

It's not like this at home. this time at home we are crying for our loss and getting on with whatever we do. I would be going hunting, or at least walking around the town. I would walk past where Arizona used to live, sit at the little bench and look at the fire damage until dark and then go home and cry.

I tune everybody out until Yang comes back it. Yang comes in with what appears to be an yellow shirt and black pants.

"Have you given up the whole 'girl on fire' thing" I ask.

"You aren't the girl on fire, fire girl is. The shirt matches her dress anyways. I figured that you'd be okay with this. The dress has padding and shit that I know you would hate. They wanted to put fucking implants in her because she lost so much weight. They tried to put in small ones with you, but Jackson and I got them to just feed you a bit more" She explains.

"Really? Implants? We don't need that shit. We don't even need padding. She is amazing just the way she is" I scoff.

"Yeah, put on the shit" She orders.

I quickly strip off my tribute uniform and put on the shirt and black pants. Meredith hands me a pair of flat leather saddles.

I look at my reflection, I understand. It is still 'on fire' The sheer fabric of my shirt softly glows. Even the slight movement in the air sends a ripple up my body. By comparison, the chariot costume seems garish, the interview dress too contrived. This material gives the illusion of wearing candlelight.

"What do you think" Yang asks.

"I think Arizona is going to be beautiful" I whisper.

"You look okay too" She says.

"Thanks, it means so much" I laugh at her.

"I don't do feels and shit, you know it" She responds, glaring.

"Calm down Yang" I say, a smile crossing my lips.

Without heels, you can see my true stature. I look, very simply, like a girl. A young one. Fifteen at the most. Innocent. Harmless. Yes, it is shocking that they have pulled this off when you remember I've just won the Games.

"Why do I look like a baby" I ask.

"I thought Arizona would like this better" She says, her dark eyes locking on mine.

Arizona? No, it's not about Arizona. It's about the Capitol and the Gamemakers and the audience. Although I do not yet understand their design, it's a reminder the Games are not quite finished. And beneath her reply and that look, I sense a warning. Of something she can't even mention in front of the team.

We take the elevator to the level where we trained. It's customary for the victor and his or her support team to rise from beneath the stage. First the prep team, followed by the escort, the stylist, the mentor, and finally the victor.

Only this year, with two victors who share both an escort and a mentor, the whole thing has had to be rethought. I find myself in a poorly lit area under the stage. A brand-new metal plate has been installed to transport me upward. I can still see small piles of sawdust, smell fresh paint. Yang and the prep team peel off to change into their own costumes and take their positions, leaving me alone.

This is so much different from before. There is an makeshift wall about ten yards away. I assume Arizona's behind it, what other reason would there be?

The rumbling of the crowd is loud, so I don't notice Mark until he touches my shoulder. I spring away, startled, still half in the arena, I guess.

"Easy, just me. Let's have a look at you," Mark says.

I hold out my arms and turn once, "Good enough."

It's not much of a compliment.

"But what?" I ask, I know that tone.

"But nothing, how about a hug for good luck" He asks, looking around at the cameras.

"Okay" I whisper, it isn't like him to want a hug.

Only, when I put my arms around his neck, I find myself trapped in his embrace. He begins talking, very fast, very quietly in my ear, my hair concealing his lips.

"Listen up. You're in trouble. Word is the Capitol's furious about you showing them up in the arena. The one thing they can't stand is being laughed at and they're the joke of Panem,"says Mark.

I feel dread coursing through me now, but I laugh as though Mark is saying something completely delightful because nothing is covering my mouth.

"So, what?"

"Your only defense can be you were so madly in love you weren't responsible for your actions." Mark pulls back and puts a piece of hair behind my ear, "Got it, Cal" He could be talking about anything now.

"I already knew it Mark" I smile, fixing his bow tie that Jackson must have quilted him into.

"Just making sure" He smiles, "Better take our places."

He leads me to the metal circle. "This is your night, Cal, enjoy it." He kisses me on the forehead and disappears into the gloom.

He thinks I don't really love her. He fell for the act. I can't believe he still thinks it's all an act. It's not an act. This is all real. I love her with all my heart. No matter what anybody thinks, I love her.


	32. Chapter 32

I tug on my skirt, willing it to be longer, wanting it to cover the knocking in my knees. Then I realize it's pointless. My whole body's shaking like a leaf.

Hopefully, it will be put down to excitement. After all, it's my night.

The damp, moldy smell beneath the stage threatens to choke me. A cold, clammy sweat breaks out on my skin and I can't rid myself of the feeling that the boards above my head are about to collapse, to bury me alive under the rubble. When I left the arena, when the trumpets played, I was supposed to be safe.

I am safe. I won. We won. Me and my Calliope won.

Why do I feel like I've lost everything? I have. I lost everything I've known out there. I lost my leg. I wish I didn't have to show the whole world it. The dress, the padding at my breasts, I hate it all.

I want Calliope. I want her to hold me. I need her to hold. I take a deep breath. I can do all of this when I get home. Home? I will be with Callie.

The anthem booms in my ears, and then I hear Caesar Flickerman greeting the audience, interrupting all my thoughts.

The crowd breaks into applause as the prep teams are presented. I imagine Bailey, April, and O'Malley bouncing around and taking ridiculous, bobbing bows. Then Effie's introduced. How long she's waited for this moment. Jackson and Yang receive huge cheers, of course, they've been brilliant, had a dazzling debut. Mark's appearance brings a round of stomping that goes on at least five minutes. Well, he's accomplished a first. Keeping not only one but two tributes alive.

I look down at myself again. I look like I'm a child, I could pass for thirteen if I wanted to. This scares me, I look like a thirteen year old lost her leg.

I almost loose my balance when the metal plate beneath me raises, but I lean on my cane and regain it.

Blinding lights. The deafening roar rattles the metal under my feet. Then there's Callie just a few yards away. She looks so clean and healthy and beautiful, just like she was when we were children. Her smile is the same whether in flames or in the Capitol lights and when I see it, I take about three steps and fling myself into her arms.

She staggers back, almost losing her balance. She rights himself and we just cling to each other while the audience goes insane. Our lips finally meet and hers are so soft. The burns on her are gone too. All of my burns are gone, even the ones from my mom. After about ten minutes of kissing, Caesar Flickerman taps on Callie's shoulder to continue the show, Callie just pushes him aside without even glancing at him. The audience goes berserk. Whether she knows or not, Callie is, as usual, playing the crowd exactly right.

Finally, Mark interrupts us and gives us a good-nurtured shove toward the victor's chair. Usually, this is a single, ornate chair from which the winning tribute watches a film of the highlights of the Games, but since there are two of us, the Gamemakers have provided a plush red velvet love seat. I sit so close to Callie that I'm practically on her lap, but it isn't enough. I kick off my sandal on the leg I do still have, then Callie helps me pull the other off. I turn around, my feet facing away from Callie. I lean my head against her shoulder, the one farthest away from my feet, so I am completely on top of her. I really want to kiss her neck, but that would be inappropriate right now.

Her arm goes around me automatically, and I feel like I'm at home. I could die just like this. Her shirt is made of the same yellow material as my dress, but Yang's put him in long black pants. I wish Jackson had given me a similar outfit, I feel so vulnerable in this flimsy dress, my new, fake leg showing for the whole world to see.

I can feel eyes on my leg, but I ignore them. Callie doesn't have bite marks on her neck, I'll have to fix that later. I smirk to myself.

"You're so beautiful" She whispers in my ear.

I can't respond, my smile is too big.

Caesar Flickerman makes a few more jokes, and then it's time for the show. This will last exactly three hours and is required viewing for all of Panem. As the lights dim and the seal appears on the screen, I realize I'm unprepared for this.

I do not want to watch my twenty-two fellow tributes die. I saw enough of them die the first time. My heart starts pounding and I have a strong impulse to run. How have the other victors faced this alone? During the highlights, they periodically show the winner's reaction up on a box in the corner of the screen.

I think back to earlier years... some are triumphant, pumping their fists in the air, beating their chests. Most just seem stunned. Callie wasn't watching, she was curled up crying, I wonder if she even knows how half of them died back then. All I know is that the only thing keeping me on this love seat is Callie, her arm around my waist, her other hand holding onto my hand.

Condensing several weeks into three hours is quite a feat, especially when you consider how many cameras were going at once. Whoever puts together the highlights has to choose what sort of story to tell.

This year, for the first time, they tell a love story. I know Callie and I won, but a disproportionate amount of time is spent on us, right from the beginning. I'm glad though, because it tells our crazy-in-love story, plus it means we won't have as much time to linger over the deaths.

The first half hour or so focuses on the pre-arena events, the reaping, the chariot ride through the Capitol, our training scores, and our interviews.

There's this sort of upbeat soundtrack playing under it that makes it twice as awful because, of course, almost everyone on-screen is dead.

When we get to the arena our love story takes a whole different turn. They show Callie almost killing me. They show her almost die at the hands of the boy from district one. They show Cato picking her up, her saying she hates me. Her killing the girl with the fire. The way they talk about her. Her whispering my name in her sleep.

When that shows, her whispering my name, I lean up and kiss her, the crowd goes wild for it, but it's just a 'your cute' kiss.

I go back to the screen, it shows me wandering for water. Me finally finding it, and Cato finding me.

It cuts off at the screen and goes to Callie. My scream fills the air.

"Arizona" She whispers, unbuckling herself from the tree when a cannon goes off, halting her motions.

A tear runs down her face, on screen and off.

"I love you" She whispers in my ear, the same time her whisper is projected from the screen.

I smile and wipe away her tear.

"I love you too" I whisper, bringing her lips to mine.

They show Sofia finding me, after the fire, helping me. I am crazy, it scares me, but Callie is right there. They also show some of her running from the fire, she get caught in a tree.

Sofia finds her and brings her to me. I can't help but to smile at how cute she is, reluctance to give Callie the knife. Callie kills and Sofia leads her to me.

I can't watch, I bury my head into Callie neck as they show her death, me ducking out of the way and leaving her to die. I can feel the shaking of Calliope's body, she's crying too.

Then we sing to her. We sing to her. A sob escapes my lips. Callie pulls back and her eyes meet mine, unspoken conversation. She wipes away my tears and I her's.

Us in the cave. Callie getting the stuff for my leg. I see that Cato and Shane started the second fire. Then the Mutts. I see the faces even look like the fallen Tributes. Shane saving me. Me killing Shane.

And then comes the moment with the matches and gasoline. I can hear the audience hushing one another, not wanting to miss anything. It doesn't end with us going into the water. It shows something I hadn't seen before. Callie is throwing herself against a wall of glass, I am on the other side of it. She's fighting to get to me.

I can feel her tense up when that is shown, so I gently kiss her forehead and she relaxes. Just the way it should be.


	33. Chapter 33

The anthem's playing yet again and we rise, well I help Arizona stand, as President Snow himself takes the stage followed by a little girl carrying a cushion that holds the crown.

There's just one crown, though, and you can hear the crowd's confusion, whose head will he place it on, until President Snow gives it a twist and it separates into two halves. He places the first around Arizona's brow with a smile. He's still smiling when he settles the second on my head, but his eyes, just inches from mine, are as unforgiving as a snake's.

That's when I know that even though both of us were on fire, I am to blame for having the idea. I'm the instigator. I'm the one to be punished. He doesn't believe in our love. My god, people don't know which on was an act by now?

Much bowing and cheering follows. My arm is about to fall off from waving when Caesar Flickerman finally bids the audience good night, reminding them to tune in tomorrow for the final interviews. As if they have a choice.

Arizona and I are whisked to the president's mansion for the Victory Banquet, where we have very little time to eat as Capitol officials and particularly generous sponsors elbow one another out of the way as they try to get their picture with us. Face after beaming face flashes by, becoming increasingly intoxicated as the evening wears on. Occasionally, I catch a glimpse of Mark, which is reassuring, or President Snow, which is terrifying, but I keep laughing and thanking people and smiling as my picture is taken. The one thing I never do is let go of Arizona's hand, if I did I would feel like I am back in the Games.

The sun is just peeking over the horizon when we straggle back to the twelfth floor of the Training Center. I think now I'll finally get a word alone with Arizona, but Mark sends her off with Jackson to get something fitted for the interview and personally escorts me to my door.

"I want to talk to her" I say, daring him to deny me again.

"Plenty of time for talk when we get home" says Mark, his eyes showing fear, fear? Really?

"Go to bed, you're on air at two" He orders.

Despite Mark's running interference, I'm determined to see Arizona privately. After I toss and turn for a few hours, I slip into the hall.

My first thought is to check the roof, but it's empty. Even the city streets far below are deserted after the celebration last night. I go back to bed for a while and then decide to go directly to her room, but when I try to turn the knob, I find my own bedroom door has been locked from the outside.

I suspect Mark initially, but then there's a more insidious fear that the Capitol may by monitoring and confining me. I've been unable to escape since the Games began, but this feels different, much more personal.

This feels like I've been imprisoned for a crime and I'm awaiting sentencing. I quickly get back in bed and pretend to sleep.

Effie comes to alert me to the start of another "big, big, big day!"

I have about five minutes to eat a bowl of hot grain and stew before the prep team descends. All I have to say is, "The crowd loved you!" and it's unnecessary to speak for the next couple of hours.

When Yang comes in, she shoos them out and dresses me in a red, gauzy dress and red shoes. Then she personally adjusts my makeup. We make idle chitchat, but I'm afraid to ask her anything of real importance because after the incident with the door, I can't shake the feeling that I'm being watched constantly.

The interview takes place right down the hall in the sitting room. A space has been cleared and the love seat has been moved in and surrounded by vases of red and pink roses. There are only a handful of cameras to record the event. No live audience at least.

Caesar Flickerman gives me a warm hug when I come in.

"How are you Callie" He asks, giving me a million dollar smile.

"Fine. Nervous about the interview," I say.

"Don't be. We're going to have a fabulous time," he says, giving my cheek a reassuring pat.

"I'm not good at talking about myself," I say.

"Nothing you say will be wrong," he says.

Oh god, if only he was right. He knows that I love her.

Then Arizona's there, dressed just like her, only in white with pink shoes.

"I hardly get to see you. Mark seems bent on keeping us apart" She whines.

Mark is actually bent on keeping us alive, but there are too many ears listening, she won't understand anyways.

"Yes, he's gotten very responsible lately" I agree quietly.

"Well, there's just this and we go home. Then he can't watch us all the time" She winks then lightly kisses me.

I gladly kiss back, all my fears melting away.

"It's time my love birds" Caesar interrupts.

We sit down, somewhat formally on the small sofa.

"Go on and touch, it's cute" He smiles.

I pull Arizona into my lap. It's hard to sit so nobodies dress rises up, but we figure it out. We are laying down, not sitting. I'm sandwiched between the back of the sofa and her back. My arm is around her waist, holding her close.

"That looks comfy" Caesar informs.

"It is" I smile, rubbing my nose across her shoulder.

Someone counts backward and just like that, we're being broadcast live to the entire country. Caesar Flickerman is wonderful, teasing, joking, getting choked up when the occasion presents itself. It's me and Caesar who talk the most, Arizona just smiles and nods.

"So Callie, that was quite a ride you had us on. You tried to kill the women you love" He questions.

"Come on Caesar, she has good reflexes. I knew she'd get the knife" I laugh.

"Yeah, that knife helped me a lot if you think about it" Arizona chimes in.

"Arizona, when was it that you realized Callie loves you" He questions.

"I don't really know to be honest. I was so confused most of the Games. We were on such good terms before the games, then right before I was thrown in the arena I was told that it was all a huge lie. That she hated me and was going to kill me-"

"It was an act" I interrupt quietly.

"I know that now baby" She whisper, squeezing my hand.

"I knew she loved you by her whispers in her sleep" Caesar interrupts our moment.

"If I would have seen them it would have been them. I knew she wasn't going to kill me, but it wasn't until..." She trails off.

"It wasn't until Sofia, right" I continue for her.

"Yeah, when we sang to her" She nods.

"Oh god" Caesar whispers, taking out a handkerchief and wiping away some tears because he's so moved.

"Then when they said we could both win, oh god my heart burst" Arizona continues.

"I can keep you forever" I whisper, kissing a part of her exposed neck.

"What are you going to do now that you got me" She asks, cranking her head so her eyes meet mine.

"Put you somewhere where you can't get hurt" I say, running a hand through her now silk like hair.

She leans in and we share a soft kiss.

"So how's your new leg working out" Caesar asks.

"Better than nothing I guess" She chuckles, turning her head back to Caesar.

"It's my fault," I whisper, looking away from the blonde in my arms, "Because I used that tourniquet."

"Yes, it's your fault I'm alive," She snaps.

"She'd have bled to death for sure without it" Caesar adds.

I guess this is true, but I can't help feeling upset about it to the extent that I'm afraid I might cry and then I remember everyone in the country is watching me so I just bury my face in the back of Arizona's neck. It takes them a couple of minutes to coax me back out because it's better in the shirt, where no one can see me, and when I do come out, Caesar backs off questioning me so I can recover. In fact, he pretty much leaves me alone until the matches come up.

"So, Callie I have to ask. What were you thinking when you pulled out those matches and the gasoline" He finally asks.

"I wasn't going to come home without her. If she died out there, I would have lost myself. To be honest I would have found a way to kill myself. Arizona is my home. Nobody else compares to her. When I have her in my arms, like I do right now, I feel like nothing can go wrong. As long as she lives, I live. When she dies, I die" I answer straight from the heart.

I hear a sigh from Mark, he must think I just told the best lie of my life.

"I love you" Arizona whispers.

"I love you too baby" I whisper in her ear, laying my head on the side of hers.

"Arizona, do you have anything to add" He asks.

"Umm, I love her with all my heart. She's the only family I have, so what would have been the point to come home alone or force her to live a life she doesn't want" She shrugs, well kind of, I think people will get her point.

Caesar signs off and it's over. Everyone's laughing and crying and hugging.

I go back to my room to collect a few things and find there's nothing to take but the Fire pin Mark gave me, same one I gave Aria. Someone returned it to my room after the Games. They drive us through the streets in a car with blackened windows, and the train's waiting for us. We barely have time to say good-bye to Jackson and Yang, although we'll see them in a few months, when we tour the districts for a round of victory ceremonies. It's the Capitol's way of reminding people that the Hunger Games never really go away. We'll be given a lot of useless plaques, and everyone will have to pretend they love us.

The train begins moving and we're plunged into night until we clear the tunnel and I take my first free breath since the reaping. Effie is accompanying us back and Mark, too, of course. We eat an enormous dinner and settle into silence in front of the television to watch a replay of the interview. With the Capitol growing farther away every second, I begin to think of home. Of Aria and my mother.

I go back and wash my face, getting rid of the make up.

When the train makes a brief stop for fuel, we're allowed to go outside for some fresh air. There's no longer any need to guard us. Arizona and I walk down along the track, hand in hand, and I can't find anything to say now that we're alone.

My mind is running. How many people think it is all just an act. How many people think I love her? How many people think I hate her? How many people hate me?

"What's wrong" She questions, tilting her head and looking up at me.

"Nothing" I whisper, looking away from her.

Mark startles me when he lays a hand on my back. Even now, in the middle of nowhere, he keeps his voice down. "Great job, you two. Just keep it up in the district until the cameras are gone. We should be okay" I watch him head back to the train, avoiding Arizona's eyes.

"What does he mean by 'keep it up'" She questions.

"The Capital didn't like fire" I blurt out.

"What? What are you talking about" She asks.

"It seemed too rebellious. So, Mark has been coaching me through the last few days. So I didn't make it worse" I answer.

"Coaching you? But not me," says Arizona.

"He knew you were smart enough to get it right," I say.

"I didn't know there was anything to get right," says Arizona, "So, what you're saying is, these last few days and then I guess... back in the arena... that was just some strategy you two worked out."

"No, baby no" I whisper, cupping her face.

She steps back as best as she can, shaking her head.

"It was all just for the Games" She says, looking down, a tear rolls down the side of her face.

"No, some of it but, when I was with you it was all ready" I argue.

"It was all just a game" She whispers, then walks back to the train, never looking back.

I can hear every step she takes back to the train. By the time I've climbed aboard, Arizona has disappeared into her room for the night. I don't see her the next morning either. In fact, the next time she turns up, we're pulling into District 12.

She nods, grabbing my hand and biting her lip.

I want to pull her aside, tell her how much I love her. Tell her that I meant every word I spoke to her. Yell at her for not giving me a chance to explain myself, but I can't. We don't have time to go have a private conversation.

"You two need hickeys" Mark orders.

"Are you fucking kidding me" Arizona challenges.

"You're suppose to be in love, you should have more than just a hickey, but since you two aren't speaking, I'm ordering you to give each other a hickey right now" He all but yells.

"Bathroom" I ask.

He nods once, and I lead her into the small bathroom. I am thrown against the door with so much force it scares me. Then the teeth on my neck make me scream.

"Holy shit" I gasp, bringing a hand up to where she just bit me.

"It's a mark, give me one" She says, no emotion in her voice.

I lean down and gently suck on her neck for about a minute when a knock on the door tells us time is up. I gently wipe away the extra spit from her neck before we open the door.

The camera tells me we are live.

I make my faces a shade of red and grab Arizona's hand. She has a fake giggle.

"Sorry, we were a little busy" She chuckles, leading me out of the bathroom.

I am dreading the moment when she stops acting, but for right now, for the camera's we act like a happy couple. We are together and we would be happy, if she's talk to me.

THE END


End file.
